PGN Nov. 23-29, 2012 by The Philadelphia Gay News

A pop-culture icon is coming to town PAGE 19

Family Portrait: Josh Shonewolf

ActionAIDS gets national attending, funding for prison work

PAGE 23

PAGE 5

Nov. 23-29, 2012

Vol. 36 No. 47

City: Scouts verdict should be tossed out

Transwoman gets up to 50 years in hotel killing By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A transgender woman pleaded guilty last week to murdering a man who was paying her for sex. On Nov. 13, days before her trial was to begin, Peaches Burton accepted a plea deal for the 2010 murder of Patrick Michael Brady at the Omni Hotel in Old City. Burton, 24, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and arson. Common Pleas Court Judge Glenn Bronson sentenced her to 25-50 years in prison, a sentence agreed to by both defense and prosecution attorneys. The sentence was broken down to include 20-40 years for the murder charge and five-10 years for the arson charge, to be served concurrently with one-two years for the abuse of corpse charge. Other charges, including theft, receiving stolen property and causing catastrophe, were dropped as part of the plea agreePEACHES ment. BURTON PGN Defense attorFile photo ney Michael Medway said he thinks the deal was fair on all sides, especially “when you consider this case started as a deathpenalty case and we were able to — as a result of our investigation of [Burton’s legal name] Herman, [her] background and everything that led up to [her] getting arrested — convince the DA’s office to take death off the table.” Assistant District Attorney Joanna Pescatore, who prosecuted PAGE 14 the case, told

By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com

ONWARD AND UPWARD: Drexel University students, faculty and staff gathered at 32nd and Market streets Nov. 20 to mark the raising of the transgender flag in recognition of the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. The occasion, initiated by alums like Erica Deuso (second from left) and supported by administrators such as Rebecca Weindensaul, Drexel’s associate dean of student affairs (fourth from right), is thought to be the first time the flag has been raised on a college campus in the region. TDOR events were held throughout the city Tuesday and, for the first time, the occasion was marked in a proclamation from Mayor Nutter. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Philly companies rank high in corporate LGBT index By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com Every year, the Human Rights Campaign releases a list of companies that have demonstrated leadership and excellence in LGBT workplace equality and, this year, several Philadelphia-based companies scored high. The Corporate Equality Index, now in its 11th year, scored a record 252 companies and businesses nationwide with a perfect 100, including locals GlaxoSmithKline and Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, which were at the top of the list last year, and Comcast Corp., a newcomer to the 100 score. Comcast, one of the world’s largest leading media, entertainment and communications companies, received the top score after an 80 last year. Klayton Fennell, vice president of government affairs and execu-

tive champion of Comcast’s OUT employee affinity group, said he felt fortunate to work for a company that celebrates diversity. “[I’m] particularly proud that Comcast and NBC Universal have been named one of the nation’s ‘best places to work’ for the LGBT community. The recognition, celebration and active support of diverse people and ideas have always been and continue to be essential to our business,” Fennell said. Comcast lost points last year for not providing fully trans-inclusive health-insurance coverage and failing to meet the entire criteria for LGBT diversity training, two issues it rectified in the last year. Fennell said the company’s LGBT successes include nondiscrimination policies, equal insurance and other benefits, corporate philanthropy and marketing practices. PAGE 15

In a legal brief filed this week, city attorneys asked a federal appeals court to vacate a jury verdict blocking the eviction of the Boy Scouts of America Cradle of Liberty Council from a city-owned building. The brief describes the verdict as “irreconcilably inconsistent.” If the verdict isn’t tossed out, the city should at least get a new trial, according to the brief. In one section of the verdict, jurors said it was unreasonable for the city to expect Cradle to renounce the national BSA’s antigay policy to remain in the building rent-free. But in another section of the verdict, jurors said the city’s overall eviction attempt was reasonable. According to the brief, the

contradiction is so glaring, it’s similar to a jury stating in one section of a verdict that a traffic light was red, and stating in another section that a traffic light was green. “A jury could not find that the traffic light was red in one interrogatory, and then, in the name of compromise, find that the traffic light was green in a different interrogatory,” the brief states. “The light was either red or green.” The city’s brief also emphasizes that no law requires the city to subsidize Cradle’s discriminatory conduct, including the First Amendment. Additionally, there’s no evidence that the city has violated any of Cradle’s constitutional rights, according to the brief. Several years ago, the city initiated eviction proceedings against PAGE 18 Cradle, which

BREAKING BREAD: Colours Organization volunteers Christopher Smith (left) and Krissy Burns served a pre-Thanksgiving meal to agency supporters Nov. 19. About 60 people attended the meal, held at the organization’s headquarters. That night, Colours also held a vigil to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance. Photo: Scott A. Drake

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

PPD names new LGBT liaison By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

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A new police official has stepped up to take on the department’s LGBT liaison position. Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel was last week named the LGBT liaison, taking over for recently retired Dep. Comm. Steven Johnson, who held the role for about two years. Bethel, 49, has been on the force for 26 years. The married father of three is a native of West Philadelphia and currently lives in Mount Airy. He holds a master’s in public safety from St. Joseph’s University and a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Chestnut Hill College. Bethel most recently served as Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations Command South but, amid the department’s sea change earlier this month, was assigned to Deputy Commissioner of Patrol Operations. He said his new role made him a good candidate to take on the liaison position, for which he volunteered. “I have all the patrol functions and detective divisions within the city now, so sitting on top of those operations, I thought it was important to make sure I have my tentacles on all the things that are going on,” he said. “When the LGBT liaison position came up,

ing,” he said. “We need to I thought there would be no make sure we’re listening to better place for it now than the concerns to identify the under me.” issues and move quickly, as Bethel, who also serves as a we do in all cases, to address liaison for the Police District them. That’s what makes us Advisory Council, attained successful.” the rank of deputy commisAs liaison, Bethel will sioner in 2008, after a career work closely with the LGBT that included posts as capPolice Liaison Committee, tain of the 17th District; as a a collection of LGBT comlieutenant in the 18th District, munity leaders, by attending in Internal Affairs and in the Narcotics Intelligence DEPUTY their monthly meetings and Investigative Unit; as a serCOMMISSIONER looking into and reporting geant in the 17th and in the KEVIN BETHEL back on any individual cases or issues impacting the comNarcotics Strike Force and Field Unit in the Special Investigative munity. He said that, while there will be a period Bureau; and as an officer in the 6th District, which includes the Gayborhood. of adjustment as he eases into the position, “I worked in Center City many years he will make it a priority. ago when I first started, and I know that “It’s a role I’m going to have to learn and clearly the community has seen its share there are going to need to be some lessons of discrimination, with a lot of prominent for me to make sure I’m doing and saying all incidents,” he said, noting that diversity has the right things. But Commissioner Ramsey always been a part of his life. “I was raised has made clear that this is an important by a great mother who instilled in me that I role for the department. We need to make need to treat everyone equally. It’s all about sure we’re reaching out to all segments of making sure there’s equality, fairness and the community, and clearly this is an area no discrimination across all segments.” that we need to be very much involved in, Bethel said he’s eager to make sure the addressing any issues of discrimination, lines of communication between police and inequality or assaults that may happen. the LGBT community are open. I plan to stay completely linked in and in “In this role, and in policing in general, tune with what’s going on in the community it’s important that we are communicat- to address these issues.” ■

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Public display of affection leads to alleged discrimination By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com The park at the intersection of 10th and Locust streets on Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s campus is often bustling with activity — people reading, exercising, eating lunch or enjoying the surroundings. But, says one local man, he was ejected from the park from kissing another man. Raphael Perez, 38, has frequented the park to work out, paint and converse with friends. On Sept. 26, he said, he was sitting on a bench talking with a male friend when the two shared a kiss — and a security officer confronted them. “It was only one kiss, 20 seconds maximum, and one of the security officers came over behind us — we didn’t see him coming or anything — and he just came up behind us and said, ‘You cannot do this here, you have to go,’” Perez said. Perez has since filed a complaint against the hospital with the city’s Human Relations Commission. The city’s Fair Practices Ordinance prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations. The hospital released the following statement in response to an inquiry about the complaint: “At Thomas Jefferson University we believe all individuals should be treated with dignity and respect. The university has not received a copy of Mr. Perez’s complaint, and in any event, we will not comment on a pending legal matter.” Reynelle Staley, director of compliance at the Human Relations Commission, confirmed that the university had not been officially notified of the complaint as of Monday but it would be soon. Staley said the commission will decide on next steps in the case once Jefferson receives and responds to the complaint. On the day of the incident, Perez said he felt shocked but followed the officer’s directive. As he and his friend started to leave, he said, he noticed that not only was the officer following them, but two other security guards were walking toward them. “It added a lot to the intimidation. We are two small-framed guys that are not opposing any resistance,” Perez said. After the other officers approached, and before both men left, Perez said they asked if the same action would have been taken had they been a heterosexual couple. “The officers said that’s out of the question and avoided the matter,” he said. Perez said he was surprised that the incident happened in a spot typically open to the public, situated near the Gayborhood. “It’s a place that I have seen other people kissing, weddings going on there, so why wouldn’t I be able to kiss a man?” The morning after, Perez reached out to Jefferson to discuss the incident with the property manager and was referred to an

investigator. “I explained the story to [the investigator] and he looked at me and said, ‘Well, I’ve been a police officer for 20 years in Philadelphia and this would have never bothered me, but maybe it bothers some other people,’” he said. According to Perez, the investigator said he was unaware of any regulations for the space. Jefferson did not respond to a question from PGN addressing potential rules governing use of the area. Perez said he “mean[s] no trouble for [the officer], I just want to know what one can or cannot do in this open space.” Perez said that when the investigator failed to follow up, Perez spoke with his supervisor, who told him Jefferson had the right to ask Perez and his friend to leave. Perez also reached out to a facilities supervisor, whom he described as “welcoming and actually surprised that this incident happened” initially. He responded several weeks later that, upon speaking with the officer in question, the officer explained that Perez’s behavior was “inappropriate” and noted that he would have taken the same action if it were a man and a woman. According to Perez, the facilities supervisor said this was the officer’s interpretation only and the officers were trained to act on their feet. The facilities supervisor said no complaints came in to Jefferson about the public display of affection, according to Perez. Perez also followed up with a Jefferson LGBT representative, who he said mentioned that an apology could be issued and also recommended sensitivity training for the officers. Jefferson officials did not respond to PGN’s request for information on current sensitivity-training efforts. “In three or four days, [the LGBT representative] got back to me and she said [the officer] would have done the same thing regardless of the sex. He said there were small children present,” Perez said, noting that he and his friend did not see any children in the area. Perez filed a complaint with the Human Relations Commission last month. According to commission executive director Rue Landau, the complaint was filed as a potential public-accommodations case. Perez, who has not been back to the park, said he is not seeking monetary gain, but wants Jefferson to clarify what can and cannot be done on its property. “If there is anything personal here that I am hoping for, it is for Jefferson to retract their words,” Perez said. “To say you were not doing anything inappropriate because right now, they are saying I did something inappropriate and I do not think that is right.” ■

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LIFTING THE SHADE: More than 100 people turned out for the third annual Shades of Awareness charity benefit Nov. 17 at the University of the Arts. Staged by the university’s Peer Support, Peer Education, the event featured a fashion show and performances to raise awareness about HIV. Philadelphia FIGHT’s Youth Health Empowerment Project was on hand providing free confidential testing. The event raised $625 that will be donated to iChoose2Live’s HIV/STI Education Program. Photo: Scott A. Drake

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

ActionAIDS awarded large national grant By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Just a week after announcing it had been awarded a $25,000 grant for its work with current and formerly incarcerated populations, ActionAIDS has been selected for another grant for the program — this one for nearly eight times the amount of the first. ActionAIDS’ Prison Linkage Program was one of five programs selected nationally for a grant from AIDS United’s Access to Care initiative. The grant is valued at $193,000 per year and will be in place for three years. This marks the largest grant the agency has ever received for its prison program. The funding will support a new care model that is expected to enable program staffers to work more closely with each client. The Prison Linkage Program allows ActionAIDS case workers to connect with the HIV-positive prison population and ensure proper access to medical care and other resources upon their release The funding is made possible by a grant from the Social Innovation Fund. The other awardees are headquartered in Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana and California. The grantees were selected in part for the

innovation of their programs. The ActionAIDS funding will allow for the implementation of “care coaches” in the program, rather than medical case managers, said executive director Kevin Burns. The new model will not call for new hires but rather training for current PLP staffers to prepare them to take on the “care coach” role. “The thing that will be different is that they will have smaller case loads and more intense work with the clients,” Burns said. “The concept of a care coach really requires expertise around mental health and addiction. The care coaches will be working with the clients to do nontraditional interventions when they see things happen, whether it’s a mental-health or addiction issue; when something comes up in the moment, the care coaches will be able to do intervention to get people to deal with a whole range of issues.” The funding goes into effect Jan. 1, and the four-month training will begin in the new year. About $57,000 of the grant is allocated to the training process. Burns said PLP was previously supported by a joint grant with Philadelphia FIGHT from the Special Projects of National Significance, which ended earlier this year. “We’ve really been trying to hang on and

try to find funding and we’ve been carrying this program for a few months,” Burns said. “So this is a great opportunity.” Burns said the grant was even more appreciated considering how few agencies were chosen. “It was a very competitive process. There were only five programs in the entire country selected for this, so we’re very excited and very proud that they chose to invest in us.” AIDS United vice president Vignetta Charles said in a statement that the five grantees are offering nontraditional means to attack the epidemic. “To end HIV in the United States, we must be vigilant about linking people living with HIV/AIDS in our most impacted populations to the care that they need,” Charles said. “We now know that access to quality HIV care not only leads to better individual health outcomes but also helps prevent the spread of the virus within communities. We are thrilled that funding from Social Innovation Fund allows us to support these new projects to overcome barriers to HIV care in some of our nation’s most severely affected populations, including people who are formerly incarcerated, people who are homeless and people who are living with HIV in the U.S. South.” ■

GALAEI introduces new ’zine to tell youth stories By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com ’Zines are self-published mini-magazines that are often filled with stories, photographs and content geared toward specific audiences and have recently gained popularity with youth readers. Later this month, the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education and Initiative’s Outlet Program will publish its very own ’zine — Único, which translates to “unique.” The publication was designed to give voice to an often unheard population — and its name was selected to express the talents and strengths of the program’s participants, said executive director Elicia Gonzales. GALAEI’s Outlet, which helps empower and bring together Latino LGBT youth in North Philadelphia, started last year. According to Gonzales, the program has been incredibly successful. “There is no other program like this that exists. We’ve seen an increase in numbers of Latino LGBT youth who came into GALAEI and who volunteer and are a part of GALAEI,” she said. “The project is building community for these folks.” The project has had one challenge, Gonzales said: to break down barriers between the LGBT and greater Latino community.

“While at GALAEI, they can be themselves, but they get nervous to approach topics with family members because there is still a stigma about the LGBT community.” Gonzales cited a youth who is currently being bullied at school and will not talk about his experiences with his mother, even though she is affirming of his sexual orientation. “There is still hesitation from the part of youth to involve their families,” Gonzales said. In an effort to overcome those barriers and make those stories public, the Outlet Program will premiere its ’zine on Nov. 30. “A lot of our stories happened organically. [The youth] come to the office because it is a place they can be themselves and share their stories. They wanted to share their stories in a public way,” Gonzales said. “They had a concept of coming up with a ’zine that will be a contemplation of their stories about what it means to be them and what it feels like to have multiple identities.” MPACT youth coordinator Nikki López, who is also a writer and a poet, has overseen the project. For López, it has been a chance to integrate that side of her life into the work she does at GALAEI and with the youth. “I don’t get the opportunity to do things on the arts side. The ’zine allowed me to connect with the youth in a way that is

much more personal,” she said. Único is all youth-led, driven and created. The contributors wrote about identity, stereotypes, sexual health and their own coming-out stories. Several of the youth contributed their graphic-design skills to the ’zine’s publication. López said the biggest challenge was not only meeting deadlines but trying to condense the work. “It was a matter of being able to take their big ideas and making them really small and concise. We had youth that wanted to do a coming-out section, a fashion section,” she said. “How can we get ideas on what we want to do and make it more feasible? We decided to do something small and give a snap shot.” López said the participants’ drive has amazed her. “I’ve been impressed with how talented they are and I love seeing how they shine through with their talents,” she said. Funding for Único came from the Philadelphia Foundation. Gonzales said the ’zine will be a one-time publication, depending on future funding. Gonzales has high expectations for Único’s impact. “My hope is that it will help and celebrate the Latino LGBT youth who are just incredibly rich in terms of culture, strength and passion,” she said. The premiere party will be held 6-9 p.m. on Nov. 30 at the Crane Building, 1417 N. Second St. ■

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REGIONAL PGN

’Nova student wins LGBT recognition, award By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com Out of a competitive applicant pool, an annual scholarship provided by two local LGBT agencies was awarded to a Villanova University student last week. The 2012 Sapphire Fund/Independence Business Alliance Scholarship, now in its third year, was presented to Ryan Foster on Nov. 12. Foster, 20, is a junior finance major at the university. He hails from Villa Park, Ill., and although he didn’t originally see Villanova as part of his future, Foster said he knew he wanted to attend college on the East Coast. “One of the main reasons that I knew about Villanova is that my uncle went there as well. He brought me here when I was looking at schools,” Foster said. “I love the campus and the size of it, and I love the business school.” Foster, who is openly gay, was involved in his high school’s National Honor Society, Key Club, Mock Trial and Foreign Language Club. He joined the school’s LGBT club in his senior year, when it got started. Now in college, Foster is involved with Villanova’s Mock Trial Team and is vice president of the Financial Management Association. While the university has been welcoming, Foster said he has seen a different

atmosphere from the one in high school. “It is a lot different at Villanova,” he said. “I am completely out with professors and students and I have had no issues with that, but LGBT issues are a little less talked about in school.” Foster received information about the Sapphire Fund/IBA scholarship in an email chain. “I read over the scholarship information and it sounded like a great thing for me; it was a perfect match.” The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to an LGBT-identified, Philadelphia-area student enrolled in a business-related discipline. As part of the application process, Foster was required to get two recommendations and write essays, one of which he focused on what he considers a highlight of his LGBT activism at Villanova. Last year, the Catholic-affiliated university cancelled a week-long workshop that featured gay performance artist Tim Miller, spurring Foster and many others to action. “It was something that really bothered me. I emailed a faculty member and told her that I was concerned about it. The response that I got from her was very generic and it bothered me,” Foster said. “A lot of other students expressed concerns. We held a forum and we were able to get the university president and several of the deans to have an open conversation. Several-hundred students came out for the event.”

RYAN FOSTER (CENTER) WITH CAMPUS PHILLY PROGRAM MANAGER FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT DAVE LANZA (LEFT) AND IBA MEMBER MAXIM KIND AT THE NOV. 12 SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATION CEREMONY AT BANKWERX FROM CONESTOGA BANK Photo: Courtesy of Independence Business Alliance

Foster reached out to The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which helped bring attention to the need for students to be given an explanation about the cancellation. “That was something that I was really passionate about and it meant a lot, and it was good having the university talk about it openly. It was a step forward,” he said. However, Foster added there isn’t a very visible LGBT presence on campus, which

he said has been one of the biggest challenges he has found at Villanova. “I feel like there aren’t a lot of gay students here, especially in business school, so just not having gay friends to talk to about issues on a daily basis has been a challenge,” he said. But he said his ally friends have been very supportive. Being close to Philadelphia also has had advantages, especially in making connections within the LGBT community. “I’ve made a lot of good friends at the University of Pennsylvania, especially through the Wharton Alliance, and through them, I have made many friends in the city,” he said. Foster said he hopes to go to law school after completing his undergraduate education, and ultimately is looking forward to working in the investment-banking field, specifically in the compliance and legal sectors. Foster said that in the long run, he hopes to support others in becoming more open about their identities, and to find an employer that encourages the same. “I hope to find an employer that is LGBTfriendly and active in LGBT issues. It has been important to me when talking with employers what LGBT initiatives and groups they have,” he said. “I really want to remain involved and I hope to recruit other LGBT students to do the same.” ■

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MODERN FAMILIES: About 200 people turned out to mark National Adoption Day Nov. 16 at Philadelphia Family Court. Three same-sex couples joined in the celebration and finalized their adoptions: Rosalie Lalena was on hand to support her daughter Jennifer DeCesare and partner Colleen, and their 2-month-old son Jagger (top); Jennifer Rivera and Jill Facone and 3-month-old son Lucas; and Briana and Kate Carbone and their 4-month-old son Henry. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for second-parent adoptions in the state. Photos: Scott A. Drake

REGIONAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

News Briefing New PAC director expected to be named Kelvyn Anderson, interim director of the city’s Police Advisory Commission, is expected to receive a promotion to the position of executive director, PAC members said this week. Four members were present at the PAC’s Nov. 19 meeting, not enough for a quorum so that official action could take place. But those in attendance publicly expressed support for Anderson’s promotion. Anderson, 53, former PAC deputy director, has been with the commission for about 12 years. He began serving in the interim role in July, after PAC executive director William M. Johnson was relieved of his duties. Anderson recently received a pay raise to reflect his additional duties, bringing his annual salary to $61,500, according to personnel records. PAC secretary Chuck Volz said he will ask the five PAC commissioners not at the meeting if they’ll support the promotion. Volz said the results will be announced at next month’s PAC meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at the PAC office, 990 Spring Garden St., seventh floor. “We’re going to give Kelvyn the title [of executive director],” Volz predicted. “We’ve been restructured from top to bottom, and we’re looking forward to a leaner, meaner, more effective PAC.” In other business, PAC internal rules have been revised so that officers, including chair, co-chairs, secretary and parliamentarian, can serve longer than two years in their leadership roles.

On another subject, PAC members said they’re waiting for the Nutter administration and Philadelphia City Council to fill nine vacancies on the panel. They expressed hope that the vacancies will be filled shortly. PAC members also said they continue to work on a final report about the Nizah Morris incident, and hope to release it within the coming months. Morris was a transgender woman found with a fatal head wound in 2002, shortly after receiving a ride from Philadelphia police. The homicide remains unsolved, and PAC members said they continue to sift through evidence in the case.

City pays to settle prison lawsuit Four women who sued the city for incarcerating them in the same cell with a transgender woman have received $8,000 each from the city to settle the case. Jabrina T. Barnett, Maria Cachola, Katiria Chamorro and Yazmin Gonzales claim their privacy rights were violated when they were required to share a cell with a pre-operative transgender woman, Jovanie Saldana, at the Riverside Correctional Facility. Last November, the women filed suit in federal court, each seeking more than $100,000 in damages, claiming Saldana subjected them to unwanted advances and sexual harassment. They also claimed that Saldana would leer at them and make inappropriate comments about their anatomy. Their attorney, Brian F. Humble, confirmed the city paid $32,000 to settle the case. Prison Health Services, a privately run company that provided medical care to city inmates, also paid an undisclosed amount of money to settle the case, Humble said. There was no acknowledgement of wrongdoing by any party to the litigation. Mark McDonald, a spokesperson for Mayor Nutter, had no comment. Philadelphia Prison System spokesperson Shawn Hawes declined to comment. PAGE 13

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OPENING DOORS: Alecia Manley (left) and Joe Carlucci were among the nearly 20 volunteers who helped pack up hygiene kits at Mazzoni Center Nov. 15 for the agency to distribute to youth in need through the agency’s Drop-In program. The packages, which include everything from deodorant to body wash to Chapstick, were made possible by a donation from Philadelphia AIDS Thrift. Also that day — midway through National Runaway and Homeless Youth Awareness Month — Connect to Protect held a forum on LGBT youth homelessness at William Way LGBT Community Center. About 75 youth and service providers heard from young people such as Kemar Jewel about their experiences with lack of housing, and reviewed resources available to struggling LGBT youth. Photos: Scott A. Drake

PGN founder joins journo board By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The founder and publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News was this month elected to the board of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. Mark Segal will serve a two-year term on the 28-member board, which oversees the agency’s work to support the newspaper industry across the Keystone State. Segal said that in his original term on the board, from 2001-07, he laid low and “learned how the organization operates.” This time around, he’s eager to share some of his lessons learned at PGN with other media leaders at this integral juncture in the journalism industry. “With the climate of new media, with dailies declining in circulation and the niche market doing well, I think I can offer guidance on ways we’ve utilized new media and niche marketing to help these other publications,” he said. Segal said PGN has thrived in part because of its keen eye toward the bottom line and its willingness to evolve, which he hopes to impart on the rest of the board. “We have a good business model that works,” he said. “We’ve learned to adapt to changing media, and a good deal of PNA membership happens to be newspapers. They’re some of the oldest in the country, and they have to learn to change — as radio did, as TV did, as movies did. New

media always comes about but that doesn’t mean there’s not a place for old media; you just have to be willing to adapt.” He is only one of three members from a Philadelphia newspaper: The Legal Intelligencer and Philadelphia Tribune are also represented. PGN was excluded from membership by PNA for 15 years before being accepted into the association in the mid-1990s. Segal is the only representative of LGBT media on the board. PNA president Teri Henning said the organzation is “very much looking forward” to Segal rejoining the board. “Although the Philadelphia Gay News has remained an active member of the association — and has won a number of PNA awards — we are excited to work more closely with Mark as we determine how best to serve our members and the news media industry in Pennsylvania,” she said. “His business success and enthusiasm for the industry will serve the association and all of our members well.” Segal said he’s hoping his board appointment will forge closer ties among LGBT and mainstream media outlets. “I want to see a better collaborative effort,” he said. “Those of us who take LGBT media seriously can offer an awful lot and can also learn a lot. PGN is no longer a junior partner in this business; we’ve been around 38 years and know a lot about the journalism industry.” ■

HEALTH PGN

The growth of Movember November is the month where we women in your lives, Mo Sistas, Mo gather with friends and family to give Bros raise funds by seeking out sponthanks and stuff our bellies until we can’t sorship for their Mo-growing efforts. At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo move. What am I most thankful for? I Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor am thankful that I am a physician and more importantly a physician focused on by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous the health care of LGBT patients. In this Gala Partés held around the world by role, I care for a ton of men, something Movember, for Movember. In 2011, that is unique in primary care. (It’s the more than 854,000 Mo Bros women in the world who are much better at seeking and and Mo Sistas around the maintaining their health!) This world got on board, raising $126.3 million. month, I wanted to share an Through its annual interesting and fun way I procampaign and funded promote men’s health. Anyone grams, the Movember prowho can grow facial hair can join in! gram aims to significantly increase understanding of the Have you heard about health risks that men face and Movember? Each year in the encourage men to act on that month of November, thousands of men (and the people knowledge. The organization who love them) around the funds survivorship initiatives United States and the world that provide information and support for men and their choose to “grow a mo” — as in, moustache — to raise vital Dr. Robert Winn families affected by prostate and other male cancers that awareness and funds for men’s help them make informed decisions and health issues, specifically prostate and improve their quality of life. In additesticular-cancer initiatives. This unofficial army of health-care activists goes by tion, they fund catalytic research and the moniker “Mo Bros” or “Mo Sistas” clinical-trials infrastructure that leads to and effectively becomes walking, talksignificantly improved diagnostic and ing billboards throughout the 30 days prognostic tests and treatments to reduce of November. Through their actions and the burden of prostate cancer. words, they raise awareness by promptSince its humble beginnings in ing private and public conversation Melbourne, Australia, Movember has around the often-ignored issue of men’s grown to become a truly global movehealth. ment inspiring more than 1.9 million In my years as a physician, I have had Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to participate far too many patients with either testicuwith formal campaigns in Australia, lar or prostate cancer. As scary as the New Zealand, the United States, Canada, word “cancer” can be, it is really importhe United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, tant to detect it early, before it spreads Spain, Denmark, Norway, Belgium and and becomes a more life-threatening the Czech Republic. Mo Bros and Mo problem. What many men don’t realize Sistas have supported the campaign and is that testicular cancer is a young man’s men’s health cause across the globe, disease, usually affecting men between from Russia to Dubai, Hong Kong to 18-35. By contrast, prostate cancer is a Antarctica, Rio de Janeiro to Mumbai problem of older men, usually over age and everywhere in between. 60. In either case, having a good relationship with a primary-care provider Thankfully, my family and patients is the key to getting the education and who have had these cancers have successfully been treated and are in remisscreening needed to prevent cancer from sion. Chemotherapy, surgery and affecting you. If you notice any changes radiation therapy are still the most effecon your testicles, changes in the way tive ways to treat these cancers, which you urinate or pain in that general area, please see your doctor. Early detection is is quite an experience for patients. They need our love and support during their vitally important to good outcomes. treatments, as it usually takes a lot of This year is my second as an official their energy. That being said, researchers spokesperson for the Movember movement. It’s certainly a cause that I feel are busy working to find better cures and strongly about, and as a health-care better ways to detect cancers early. But, provider, I have the opportunity to raise these efforts take time and money. So if awareness and start conversations with you see a guy sporting a cheesy moustache this month, chances are he’s doing people about these important issues it for a cause! Thank him and donate if every day. you can. ■ Anyone interested in participating can register at: www.movember.com. You Dr. Robert Winn is medical director at start the month clean shaven, then proceed to let things grow, as you groom, Mazzoni Center, the region’s only LGBTtrim and wax your way into the annals specific health center. of fine moustachery. Supported by the

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

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EDITORIAL PGN

Op-Ed

Editorial

What is PGN thankful for? Angela: I am thankful for the extremely accepting and amazing friends and family in my life. I am also thankful towards coffee for being there when times get rough. Anne-Marie: Every day I live in blissful disbelief for the blessings in my life. I am thankful for my family who are always there to nurse me back to health, my old friends who constantly pick me up when I am down and the new loved ones in my life who make moving forward easier every day. Brooke: I’m thankful that Honey Boo Boo supports the gays ... “Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts.” (Alan Cohen) Carol: I’m thankful for having a loving and supportive family, a great job with people I love being around, especially Greg. I’m also thankful that the casinos haven’t sunk in the ocean, that would be dreadful for me. I’m thankful for being able to shop ’til I drop, literally. But most of all, I’m thankful for Mark’s 100-foot deck being completed. Oh, I almost forgot: I’m thankful for the W.B. Mason guy, Taylor Lautner and the hard-working construction worker who built Mark’s deck. Dan: I’m thankful for Kasey, Mack and having loving and supportive parents. I’m thankful for my coworkers who (generally) are friends that I enjoy spending the day with. However, I’m most thankful that ground-breaking is over. Don: I am thankful for my partner, Mike, my home, my eight cats and the lifestyle I am able to lead without being wealthy. Greg: Lots of food, lots of football, lots of thanks, a four-day weekend with no atonement or fasting, great friends and family and great health. Jen: I’m thankful for the awesome PGN staff who’ve made my transition to editor as headache-free as possible. And, when there were headaches, I’m very grateful to my awesome family and friends

who’ve been there to listen, make me laugh and offer me copious amounts of wine. Larry: I am thankful for the obvious things: friends, family, having two jobs that I enjoy, amazing coworkers, etc. I’m also thankful that politics based on fear, bigotry and hate-mongering got a resolute refusal by the majority in the recent election. I’m also immensely thankful for the things that get me through the day, every day: caffeine, anger, ribald commentary and free Wi-Fi. Mark: I’m very thankful for the harmony in our community and that Philadelphia is the nation’s most friendly place for LGBT people to live. On a personal level, I’m thankful for my PGN family who put out the best newspaper for the LGBT community in the nation. And to family and friends who lose all attempts to keep me grounded. Prab: It’s so true: We don’t miss the water until it’s gone. I’ll be thankful for having a new functioning bathroom come Thanksgiving Day! Sandy: Of course I’m most thankful for my truly wonderful family (including kitty), friends and coworkers at PGN — and that everyone is happy and healthy. And I’m particularly thankful that President Obama is getting another term in office. (I was thankful that a hurricane was finally named after me. But then it harmed people, so now I’m ashamed. Even though “Sandy Sale!” sounds neat.) Scott: I’m thankful that I have found a man who loves me unconditionally and who makes my heart smile. Sean: I’m thankful for having a wonderful family, a wonderful community, a good dog and the time I have to spend with them. I’m thankful for health and financial security that allows me to enjoy that time. Tim: I’m grateful for the opportunity to comfort the afflicted (and afflict the comfortable) and still be alive to tell the tale. ■

The kids are not all right On May 9, President Obama publicly stated his support for same-sex marriage for the first time. It was a milestone for the LGBT civil-rights movement: It marked the first time in our nation’s history a sitting president had voiced support for marriage equality. The announcement was met with debate and fanfare. USA Today called his statement “an important, even historic, marker of how far public opinion has shifted.” And it’s true — public opinion has indeed shifted — and in terms of LGBT civil rights, across-the-board marriage equality is absolutely the first issue we think of. As important an issue it is, it is by no means the be-all and end-all of LGBT civil rights. But it’s the battle we’ve chosen to fight most publicly, and we’re fighting it on a national level. But in the choosing of our battles, we must also become cognizant of those whose voices are not often, if ever, sponsored by celebrities or the President. And in the midst of our successes, we cannot dismiss those left behind in the process: homeless queer youth. The numbers are startling: Of an estimated 600,000 homeless youth in the United States, about 40 percent identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a study conducted this year by the Williams Institute. This is no coincidence either. Of that number, almost half report having been kicked out of their homes for coming out to their families. This means their decision to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity is the reason for their homelessness. In Philadelphia alone, up to 1,300 LGBT youth are without homes, according to Foyer, a shelter based in Philly that provides beds to LGBT youth during the winter months. While programs like Foyer exist, they are uncommon, and as funding for shelters grows scarce, the future for homeless youth grows bleaker.

The extreme lack of legal protections for LGBT people in the United States does not help to realize the long-term goals of homeless queer youth who hope to find a stable financial and living situation someday: 29 states do not currently include sexual orientation as a protected class from discrimination, Pennsylvania among them. Without these protections, a person can be refused housing or fired for simply being an LGBT person. Employment and housing prospects are even shakier for transgender individuals; their rights are protected in only 13 states. No federal law exists to protect LGBT individuals from discrimination. In fact, President Obama passed up his chance to sign an executive order last spring that would have banned federal contractors from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation. For the LGBT community at large, but young people in particular, these are troubling truths. The lives of young, vulnerable people are at stake here. It is not enough to tell them, “We’ll come back for you.” And it is certainly not enough to say, “It gets better.” Because if that’s where we end the conversation, that might never become true for many LGBT youth in this country. A bright and stable future is not guaranteed to homeless queer youth. But what we can promise is something better than came before. Make no mistake, we can make it better — under the condition we sincerely devote ourselves to doing the work necessary. We need to bring this issue to our political platforms, our blogs, our newspapers, but first and foremost to our attention. We cannot continue to ignore the issue and leave queer youth behind. We’ve got to bring them with us. ■

It is not enough to tell them, “We’ll come back for you.” And it is certainly not enough to say, “It gets better.” Because if that’s where we end the conversation, that might never become true for many LGBT youth in this country.

— Sasha Faust West Chester University, class of 2013 President, LGBTQA

PGN wishes everyone a safe, healthy and bountiful Thanksgiving!

OP-ED PGN

Was Lincoln gay? Historic common sense With the new Steven Spielberg film the 13th amendment. All historians look “Lincoln,” the debate about the late presifor Lincoln’s motivation. There’s even a dent’s sexuality is once again on the front recent best-seller devoted to it: “Lincoln’s burner. Let’s be clear: The detractors’ Melancholy.” Kushner should’ve read points are simply illogical. Any Lincoln’s discussions with serious Lincoln scholar or hisFrederick Douglass. Slaves were torian agrees that Joshua Speed imprisoned, and so was Lincoln. As to not sleeping with men at was Lincoln’s most intimate that point in his life, Kushner friend. That word, “intimate,” is fails to present the historic continually used, from the very knowledge that Capt. David first researched biography. That Derickson and Speed himself book was written by Lincoln’s spent a night with the president only other close friend, his law at his cottage, about 3 miles partner William Herndon, and from the White House. published in 1889. It’s been sanitized in many new additions, In 1800s language, the letters between Lincoln and Speed but many subsequent biograare curious for their bluntness. phies stem from that work and the letters of Lincoln and his There is no need to debate the contemporaries. content; each letter Lincoln sent Mark Segal Speed is signed “Affection” or What it comes down to is the question, Was one of America’s “Always yours,” uncommon most revered presidents a gay man? The among men in the 1800s, especially maridea of this enrages those who are not com- ried men. And the clincher: The only other fortable with the LGBT community. They person with whom Lincoln uses that language is Mary, his wife. Not even Herndon. claim that we want to have Lincoln in our And the smoking-gun proof, which is fold to claim some form of gay patriotism. The point is, we already have such a figure; what those in doubt keep asking for. Maybe his name was Baron Friedrich von Steuben, someday a letter or diary might appear (after all, we are still finding new evidence and without him there would be no United of Cleopatra’s life some 2,000 years later). States of America for Lincoln to save. (My But, in Lincoln’s case, we are not using previous research on von Steuben can be the same historic yardstick. Historical fact found at www.epgn.com.) comes from material of that day, from the David Herbert Donald, the most people of that time period. All the inforesteemed of modern Lincoln biographers, mation on Lincoln’s intimate friendship opposed the theory of Lincoln’s possible comes from his own hand and from those homosexuality with the following points: who knew them. For there to be so much 1. No one saw Lincoln and Speed being intimate, even though others spent the night material on the two means their closeness in their home in other bedrooms But when, was common knowledge at the time. This is where some historians fail or show their even today, when you stay at a friend’s bias. We have more proof of a relationship house, do you ever see others being intimate? And this was the 1800s. between Lincoln and Speed than we do 2. Poor men often slept with other men of the relationship between Alexander the in those days to keep warm or to split a Great and Hephaestion. If we look at the bed when others were not available. But, nervous breakdown Lincoln suffered after in Donald’s own words, there were other Speed left him to marry, you’d see a similarity between the emperor Hadrian and the beds in the house; Herndon himself slept death of his Antinous. there on occasion. They were not poor and Let’s not use words like gay, homosexuthey were not young. Yet for four years they ality or even bisexuality for Lincoln. All we slept together. can say with clarity is that for four years he 3. They slept with each other to keep slept with a man when he did not have to. warm on cold nights. If they could afford a They worked together, Lincoln in Speed’s house, they could afford the blankets that store, and Speed is often cited in Lincoln’s were sold in Speed’s own dry-goods store law cases and helped him in the Wig party. downstairs. And they slept together on They shared each other’s lives in their fullwarm summer nights too. est. A cautionary note to LGBT activists: We Facts and common sense ... versus a do not need to fake or fictionalize this issue blind bias. ■ to muddy the waters. The facts speak well for themselves. Grandstanding or coming View Segal’s previous Lincoln work at www. up with suspicious material only derails epgn.com/view/full_story/16191975/articlehistoric research. As for Tony Kushner’s Lincoln--A-life-in-the-closet. screenplay for the Lincoln film, it is a disappointment, and the public reasons he Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s gives for ignoring the issue ring hollow. most-award-winning commentator in LGBT Lincoln’s psychological background media. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com. might very well be a part of his push for

Mark My Words

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Street Talk What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving? “My family is coming to visit from Brazil. It’s not a holiday down there but they like the idea of Thanksgiving so they come Marina Barboza up here to student celebrate. Northern Liberties There’s no change of season where they live so they really enjoy seeing the leaves changing colors on the trees.”

“That I survived Hurricane Sandy. Fortunately, no one close to me was killed but some of Rasoul Brooks my friends sales associate in New South Philadelphia York were devastated. My heart goes out to anyone who was affected by it. I hope they can rehabilitate their lives.”

“My wife and I just got married in New York. It’s been great. Married life doesn’t really change you but it’s good to have the Tyyanne McClain recognition. dog walker I just got on Bella Vista her health insurance as her spouse. That was exciting.”

“The election is over, and Obama won. The TV ads didn’t bother me, but the uncertainty of who would win was getting to me. Dannell Mitchell carpenter Now I feel South Philadelphia much better about the economy. Things are looking up.”

Letters and Feedback In response to “Michael McGonigle, film lecturer and expert, 53,” Nov. 1622: When I worked for the Art Museum, I loved attending Michael’s lectures. He was very knowledgeable about movies and had a great sense of humor. His observations were thought-provoking, and often his opinions were ... unconventional. I got to know him better over the last seven months through the weekly film discussion group that we were both a part of. He was always a joy to be around. He will be missed. — Keith Lyons In response to “Senior site starts to take shape,” Nov. 16-22: A few things crossed my mind as I witnessed this event. One is that, after hearing about it being affordable hous-

ing, there would be only a few affordable-housing units available, with the rest of the units being market-rate. If we are to have a major community housing project that takes government assistance, all units should be affordable. While the many G (and, to a lesser extent, LBT) wealthy retirees have the financial and class privilege of being able to create their own sense of community, there are many low-income LGBT elderly and allies who do not have such flexibility and may be thrown to the lion’s den that is the religious industrial complex. The people who will be most likely in need of these valuable services are trans elderly, as well as LGBT elderly who are disabled and/or persons of color. We need to think about this intersectionality of oppressions when we work on solutions for LGB and especially T elderly. — Jordan Gwendolyn Davis

PGN FITNESS

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Work It Out

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Why join a gym? (And how to make the investment pay off)

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The medical definition of health is: a state of optimal physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. Many people join a gym because of a real health challenge (e.g. heart disease, high blood pressure or weight loss) or they want “health.” Others come in preparation for an upcoming event or as a New Year’s resolution, and still others come because they realize the best thing they can do for themselves is to invest in their health — not out of fear and not to “fix,” but to invest in their health future. Once the “investment” decision is made, success at the gym calls for planning. Designing a plan specific to the individual’s needs, goals and body limitations is critical. A flexible plan is key, and it has to be a plan that includes a nutritional strategy. The plan should be, above all, simple and easy to monitor. Include these three key elements in your gym-based fitness and health commitment: cardio training, strength training and nutrition planning. Cardio training In plain English, get your heart beating fast at least three times a week. If your physician says it’s OK to exercise seriously, then get your butt in gear. Sweat hard for a minimum of 25 minutes at least three times a week. Don’t skip this part of your plan — as the slogan says, just do it! Use a stationary bike, a treadmill or an elliptical trainer or take a class. Whatever you choose, make it vigorous. Strength training Weights are not just for showoffs and body-builders. Keep bones healthy, joints work-

ing smoothly, flexibility up and muscle tone healthy; these all benefit from moderate, planned amounts of strength training using weights, bands or your own body weight. Just don’t ignore this important component of effective gym use. Nutrition planning Be a health nut, a vegan or even just moderately sensible, but don’t think you can have a successful commitment to fitness without considering what goes into your body every day. The best foundation for effective nutrition is common sense. While having ribs and onion rings three times a week is not a good use of common sense, total denial of “fun foods” is, for most people, unreasonable. In other words, plan what you eat, watch the scale, avoid high-fat foods, monitor your cholesterol and make good nutrition a balanced part of your fitness plan. Should you use a trainer? Yes, if you want to very-effectively get a plan designed and get on the go quickly and effectively. Trainers aren’t cheap but they are usually smart and can move you ahead smartly, helping you meet your goals in a targeted, safe and sensible way. Do you have to? No. There is a lot of good info on the Internet and, as we suggest above, common sense and the right resources can get you to your goals! ■ Dr. Marjorie Dejoie practices physical and internal medicine and is a registered personal trainer at 12th Street Gym. For more information on Marjorie and more than 30 other top trainers at 12th Street Gym, visit www.12streetgym.

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PGN

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Gay is our middle name.

REGIONAL PGN

Obituary Eddie Long, technician and leather pioneer, 44 By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com

Former partner M. Bradley Shannon said Long was highly independent and often stubborn but was always upfront and honEddie Long, one of the founders of est. “He knew so many people from many Keystone Boys of Leather, died Nov. 14. He walks of life. Everybody who met him liked was 44. As of presstime, the Philadelphia Medical him. People didn’t have a bad word for him,” Examiner’s office said the cause of death Shannon said. “You always knew where you stood with Eddie.” was pending. Shannon said he and Long had been The Norristown native and Norristown together for two years and Area High School grad was after their separation, they born Jan. 3, 1968 and studied remained very good friends. at the Community College of Long’s cousin, Justin Philadelphia and Montgomery Mason, considered him to County Community College. be a role model. Most recently, he was “He was someone that I working as a technician for looked up to growing up, ElectroScience Labs in King and I would like to think of Prussia. that a part of his goodness Long was a founder of the and kindness rubbed off on Keystone Boys of Leather, a me,” Mason said. fraternal leather club for self“He and I shared so many identified leatherboys. EDDIE LONG AT ONE He was a lover of tennis, OF HIS FREQUENT laughs at our grandparents’ camping, the beach and real- VISITS TO THE WOODS house while I was growing ity TV shows — his favorCAMPGROUND Photo: up, and we kept in touch in ites being “Amazing Race,” Scott A. Drake the years that followed and got together as time would “Big Brother” and “Rock of Love.” He was a frequent visitor of The allow,” he added. Long was pre-deceased by his mother and Bike Stop in Philadelphia and The Woods Campground in The Poconos, where Robb survived by his father, Edward J. Long Sr., Reichard, executive director of AIDS Fund, and a wide circle of family and friends. A memorial service was held Nov. first met Long. Reichard referred to Long as “the life of 19 at the Volpe Funeral Home, 707 W. Germantown Pike in Norristown. Plans for a the party.” “He was great at getting people to have memorial service at the William Way LGBT a good time. He was always up for fun and Community Center are underway. Memorial donations can be made to just loved life,” Reichard said. “He was somebody who walked into a room and he Foyer of Philadelphia, a homeless shelter chatted with everyone and knew everyone. for LGBTQ youth, at www.foyerofphiladelphia.org. ■ He is going to be missed.” NEWS BRIEFING from page 8

Mediation unsuccessful in trans case Litigation has resumed in the employment-discrimination case of transwoman Janis Stacy after attempts to mediate the dispute proved unsuccessful. Last week, a briefing schedule for the case was issued by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Two years ago, Stacy sued LSI Corp. in federal court, claiming she was terminated from her engineering position because of her gender, gender identity and disability. Stacy, of Kunkletown, worked at the Allentown electronics firm for about 10 years prior to her termination in 2008. On Sept. 12, U.S. District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno dismissed Stacy’s lawsuit, citing insufficient evidence of discrimination. Stacy promptly appealed Robreno’s ruling to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Stacy’s attorneys must file their opening brief by Dec. 24, then LSI has 30 days to respond. Stacy’s attorneys have 14 days to

respond to LSI’s brief. Stacy’s lawsuit alleges adverse employment actions dating back to 2005, when she started transitioning at work. But LSI contends that Stacy was terminated due to workforce reductions and because she lacked the requisite skills to help move the company forward. Scott B. Goldshaw, an attorney for Stacy, had no comment for this story, nor did LSI attorney Robert W. Cameron. — Timothy Cwiek

FIGHT hosts gala Philadelphia FIGHT will celebrate its annual We Remember Gala at 6 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia, 215 S. 16th St. The event will include a silent auction, food, live music and a portion of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on display. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.fight.org/donate or call 215525-8628. — Angela Thomas

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Monday, November 26, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce St. For more info call 215.438.4027 or email frnd1807@verizon.net

Nancy Bean, violin Lloyd Smith, cello Natalie Zhu, piano Mozart Piano Trio, K. 254 Bloch Three Pictures of Chassidic Life Dvorak “Dumky” Piano Trio, Op. 90

Tickets $17 at the door

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

riage valid, is that following Sunday.

Media Trail Seattle City Hall to host same-sex weddings Dec. 9 The Seattle Time reports Seattle City Hall will open for several hours for wedding ceremonies the Sunday after Washington’s new law allowing same-sex marriage takes effect. Aaron Pickus, a spokesman for Mayor Mike McGinn, said that eight municipal judges are donating their time to marry couples between noon-5 p.m. Dec. 9, three days after Referendum 74 takes effect. While couples will be able to pick up their marriage licenses Dec. 6, because Washington has a three-day waiting period, the earliest a certificate could be signed, making the marBURTON from page 1

PGN she was “absolutely” satisfied with the outcome. Medway mentioned at last week’s sentencing hearing that Burton came from a very disadvantaged childhood and faced physical and sexual abuse. Pescatore said Burton’s upbringing was evaluated as the plea deal was put together. “A lot of things were taken into consideration, and that’s just one of them,” she said. On Oct. 30, 2010, Burton was captured on video surveillance entering the hotel with

Church denies confirmation to pro-gay Minn. teen The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports a teenager in northwestern Minnesota was refused the Catholic sacrament of confirmation after he posted an online photo condemning the marriage amendment, according to his family. Shana Cihak says her 17-year-old son, Lennon, was not allowed to participate in the religious rite of passage at Assumption Church in Barnesville last month after posting a Facebook picture of himself holding a political sign that he changed to oppose the constitutional amendment. The proposed measure to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota was defeated Nov. 6. Assumption pastor the Rev. Gary LaMoine declined to confirm or deny whether Cihak was not allowed to receive confirmation. LaMoine said he’s been in consultation with Diocese of Crookston officials and he plans to address the matter with parishioners at Assumption Church. Brady, 49, a married father from Chester County. Defense attorneys have said that Brady and Burton had a sexual relationship that lasted several months leading up to the killing. It is unclear what transpired in the hotel room, but the Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be strangulation and blunt-impact trauma. The victim had bruises on nearly all of his organs, as well as fractured ribs and larynx. After the murder, prosecutors said Burton brought two other men into the room for sexual encounters and later attempted to

spending millions in the past fighting other accusations that she says are false.

A spokesman for the diocese did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Nebraska city council adopts gay-rights measure

Man accuses NC church of stalking, abuse

The Freemont Tribune reports the Grand Island City Council has overridden a mayoral veto and enacted city employment protections for LGBT people. The ordinance change adds protection to only city policies and doesn’t affect any other employer in the south-central Nebraska community. The proposal passed on a 6-4 vote Nov. 13. Then the council voted 8-2 to override a veto by Mayor Jay Vavricek, who said he saw the ordinance change as merely symbolic. The council on Oct. 9 rejected a measure that would have barred businesses from discriminating against current or prospective employees based on their sexual orientation. It also would have covered housing and retail situations. ■

According to reports by North Carolina’s WRAL, a man claims he’s being stalked for helping a 22-year-old man escape a church that abused him for being gay. But Jerry Cooper says the harassment won’t stop him from encouraging others to leave the Word of Faith Fellowship Church. He says he helped Michael Lowry leave the church. Lowry says the church held him against his will and tried to cure him of being gay. The four church security team members accused in the case have declined to comment. However, church officials say the allegations of stalking and abuse are unfounded. They say Cooper is determined to destroy the church. Church founder Jane Whaley says she is upset the church is again a target after set the room on fire to cover up the crime, which alerted fire authorities, who found the body. Burton was arrested several days later, carrying some of Brady’s possessions. Medway said Burton confessed to the crime, which the defense attempted unsuccessfully to have suppressed from the evidence. Considering the case against Burton and the circumstances of the murder, Medway said the plea deal was a more viable option than a trial. “I think there was a meeting of the minds

— compiled by Larry Nichols that no one really wanted to open up the wounds this case had caused, as a result of the murder of the victim and the attempted burning of the body, everything that went with it,” he said. “I saw that as an opportunity to strike a negotiation with the DA’s office for a sentence that, I think, under the circumstances, is pretty reasonable.” Also arrested was Richard Collins, who helped Burton attempt to move the body. Collins pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, theft and conspiracy and will be sentenced Dec. 6. ■

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grueling work camps in the countryside. Hernandez was jailed for two years in the 1980s for “dangerousness.”

International Transgender woman first to win office in Cuba A woman elected as a local government delegate has become the first known transgender person to hold public office in Cuba. Adela Hernandez is a biologically male Cuban who has lived as a female since childhood. She calls her election an important advance for rights to sexual diversity. In decades past, Cuban authorities persecuted gay people and others seen as threatening to the revolution. Many were sent to HRC BUSINESSES from page 1

“Comcast and NBC Universal are committed to identifying and expanding opportunities for members of the LGBT community through our recruitment and career development, supplier diversity, community investment and programming.” Also notable was Saul Ewing, LLP, which went from a score of 30 last year to 90 in the 2013 index. According to Saul Ewing spokesperson Leslie Gross, the company did not submit a survey last year and said HRC likely based that score on its own research. She said she made sure the company submitted a survey this year.

Greek prosecutor charges blasphemy over gay Jesus play A Greek prosecutor is pressing blasphemy charges over a troubled Athens performance of an American play that portrays Jesus as gay. Officials said no one yet specifically faced the misdemeanor charge, as is allowed by Greek law. Police were tasked Nov. 16 with identifying production and cast members who could be summoned to stand trial. Performances of U.S. playwright Terrence McNally’s play “Corpus Christi” were cut short last month after protests by Christian activists and ultranationalists. The charges of malignant blasphemy and insulting religion carry a maximum twoyear prison sentence. Anthony Forte, a partner in Saul Ewing’s real-estate department, said the company makes progress each year on LGBT issues. “In the firm, we have started to gross up compensation of LGBT employees who suffer from the unfair tax treatments for health insurance in regards to their domestic-partnership benefits,” he said. Saul Ewing also recently started an LGBT affinity group. “That has been a nice new support for our attorneys and it is open to all attorneys,” he said. Forte said this year’s rating is a welcome and deserved addition. “I think the general view is that we are really pleased to have improved our score

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

bullied at his old high school and moved in Canada: Trans student with his sister and enrolled at Clarke. banned from using male Nigeria poised to pass toilets A transgender male student in Ontario, antigay bill Canada, has allegedly been barred from using the men’s toilet at school. James Spencer, 16, said he was told by the school to use the facilities at a fast-food restaurant down the street. However, officials at Durham Region’s Clarke High School insist they never told the teenager to use an off-campus toilet. Spencer said he was recently given permission to use a private bathroom reserved for “janitor staff, kitchen staff and students with medical disabilities.” “I felt like they were saying that to be transgender there’s something wrong and that transgender people need to be segregated,” Spencer said. The student, who began transitioning from female to male in the 10th grade, was

A top U.S. human-rights official says he has not discussed with Nigerian lawmakers an antigay bill poised to pass Parliament. Michael H. Posner, the assistant of state for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, declined to comment directly on the pending legislation during a press conference at the U.S. consulate in Lagos Nov. 16. But he said human-rights issues must be addressed within societies and “it is very difficult, if not impossible, for [foreign\ governments to force that change.” The Parliament of Africa’s most populous nation is expected to pass the bill criminalizing gay marriage, gay-advocacy groups and same-sex public displays.

so much this year and that it accurately reflects our commitment to LGBT employees and their issues.” Philadelphia-area companies, Aramark Corp., Ballard Spahr LLP, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP and Pepper Hamilton LLP also received 90s, the same as last year. They continue to be out of reach of the top score as they don’t provide completely trans-inclusive health-insurance coverage. Duane Morris LLP also stayed steady at 85 percent, losing points for its lack of trans-inclusive coverage and partial points for its “soft” domestic-partner benefits. Pep Boys decreased from a 70 to a 65, getting docked for not offering trans-inclusive coverage or full LGBT competency

training and receiving partial points for LGBT public commitment and responsible citizenship. Overall, the survey found that, of Fortune 500 companies, 88 percent offer nondiscrimination policies inclusive of sexual orientation and 57 percent inclusive of gender identity — marking the first time ever that a majority of Fortune 500 companies offer fully inclusive LGBT nondiscrimination policies. Of those Fortune 500s that participated, 99 percent and 83 percent offer sexual orientation- and gender identityinclusive policies, respectively. For more information on the Corporate Equality Index, visit www.hrc.org/corporate-equality-index. ■

— compiled by Larry Nichols

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

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Gayborhood Crime Watch The following incidents in the Midtown Village and Washington Square West areas were reported to the 6th Police District between Nov. 5-11. Information is courtesy of 6th District Capt. Brian Korn; Stacy Irving, senior director, Crime Prevention Service; Center City District; the Police Liaison Committee and Midtown Village Merchants Association. To report crime tips, visit www. phillypolice.com or call 215-686TIPS (8477). INCIDENTS — At 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5, an employee of the AT&T store at 1206 Walnut St. reported someone stole cash from the register while he was showing customers a cell phone. There is no description of a suspect. — At 2:45 p.m. Nov. 6, a male unsuccessfully attempted to snatch a necklace from a woman outside 1125 Walnut St. The suspect fled east on Walnut St. on a light-blue old-style 10-speed bicycle. He was described as a black male, about 40, 6-foot with a thin build, wearing a black and blue windbreaker jacket, a gray knit cap and jeans. — Between 8 p.m. Nov. 6 and 7 a.m. Nov. 7, someone smashed the window of a 2010 Mercedes parked in the 300 block South Quince Street. Change was taken. The complainant declined to have the vehicle dusted for fingerprints. — Between 9:30 p.m. Nov. 7 and 11 a.m. Nov. 8, someone forced open the door of a shop in the 1000 block of Pine Street. When the owner arrived for work, it appeared there were some scratch marks near the lock. Taken were clothing and jewelry items. Central Detective Division was on the scene to check for evidence and fingerprints. — Between 9:30 p.m. Nov. 6 and 10 p.m. Nov. 8, someone smashed the window of a 2000 Dodge parked in the 1200 block of Locust Street and stole a purse. The incident was reported to the 8th District. — At 11:10 a.m. Nov. 9, a man was approached from behind at 12th and Spruce streets by a male who placed an unknown object to his back and took his iPhone. The suspect was described as a black male, in his 20s, with a beard and wearing a black hoodie. — Between 8 a.m.-4:40 p.m. Nov. 9, someone pried open the door of an apartment in the 1200 block of Spruce Street and stole

a laptop and change. Security cameras showed the suspect to be a black male in his 30s, 180 pounds, with a beard, wearing blue scrubs and a gray hoodie. Sixth District Officer Corrado lifted fingerprints. — Between midnight-5:50 a.m. Nov. 10, someone stole a bag of clothing from an unlocked 2003 Jeep parked in the 1300 block of Locust Street. Fingerprints could not be lifted. — On Nov. 10, a man parked a 2012 Ford in the paid garage at 925 Walnut St. and left the key with the attendant. When he returned at 3:35 p.m., the key and the vehicle were gone. — At 5 a.m. Nov. 11, a woman was struck on the head with an unknown object, causing her to fall to the ground outside the Wawa at Ninth and Walnut streets. Her purse, cell phone and jacket were stolen. The report was made at Hahnemann University Hospital at 9 a.m. The woman never saw the suspect, therefore no description is available. — Between 9:40 a.m.-6:45 p.m. Nov. 11, two apartments in a building in the 300 block of South 12th Street had doors pried open and laptops, jewelry and an iPod stolen. Sixth District Officer Corrado lifted fingerprints. NON-SUMMARY ARRESTS — At 8:15 p.m. Nov. 8, 6th D i s t r i c t O ffi c e r C a m p b e l l arrested a 36-year-old male with a Germantown address in the 400 block of South Broad Street for driving under the influence. — At 2:30 p.m. Nov. 7, a black male in a leather jacket stole a 2012 Nissan from the Hertz Rental Car line at 1200 Market St. The keys had been inside the vehicle. At 2:20 p.m. Nov. 8, the suspect returned to the Hertz Rental area of the Loews Hotel when hotel security spotted him and gave chase. The suspect was apprehended in the 1000 block of Market Street with the assistance of officers from the 6th District and the District Attorney’s office. The 27-year-old suspect with a North Philadelphia address was charged with auto theft. The vehicle was recovered in the 1200 block of Walnut Street. — At 2:15 p.m. Nov. 8, 6th District Officer Blackburn arrested a male outside 21 S. 13th St. who was wanted on a bench warrant for failure to appear for court. The 65-year-old homeless suspect was charged with contempt of court. ■

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is headquartered inside a city-owned building on 22nd Street near the Ben Franklin Parkway. Cradle refuses to allow gays in its Scouting programs, which allegedly violates several city laws and policies regarding the provision of services within city facilities. But Cradle claims it has a First Amendment right to exclude gays, even inside a public building. In 2008, Cradle filed suit against the city, which resulted in a federal jury ruling that the city placed an “unconstitutional condition” on Cradle’s right to exclude gays during the eviction attempt. In July 2010, U.S. District Judge Ronald Buckwalter issued a permanent injunction, preventing the city from evicting the Scouts unless it does so in a constitutional manner. If the Third Circuit Court of Appeals enters overall judgment in favor of the city, Buckwalter’s injunction would be vacated, clearing the way for the Scouts’ eviction. City seeks clarification of judge’s injunction If the appeals court doesn’t enter judgment in favor of the city — or if it doesn’t order a new trial — the city alternately is seeking clarification of Buckwalter’s injunction. “Quite simply, we assume that the city is not required to subsidize Cradle’s discrimination in perpetuity, but we have no guidance as to how we can disentangle ourselves from Cradle’s discrimination,” the city’s brief states. “Fundamental fairness requires that we be given that guidance.” In the Nov. 19 brief, the city describes Buckwalter’s injunction as “unacceptably vague.” “At a minimum, the court should remand with instructions to [Buckwalter] to issue a reasonably clear injunction,” the brief states. The brief goes on to say that the city is entitled to “fair notice” of what would be an improper eviction proceeding. “[Buckwalter’s] injunction is unacceptably vague in that it only tells the city to obey the Constitution, without any specificity as to how to obey the Constitution,” the brief states. City defends LGBT advocates Cradle has argued that the city impermissibly caved in to political pressure from LGBT activists when pursuing the Scouts’ eviction. But the city’s brief states that it was appropriate for government officials to respond to citizens’ concerns in a participatory democracy.

Buckwalter specifically faulted former City Solicitor Romulo L. Diaz Jr., who is openly gay, for allegedly pandering to pressure from LGBT advocates when pursuing Cradle’s eviction. But the city’s brief emphasizes that Diaz acted properly when attempting to end the subsidy. “The fact that Mr. Diaz himself was a gay man is an improper basis to uphold a finding of unconstitutionality,” the brief states. “Leaders are certainly permitted to make decisions for the purpose of benefiting groups of which they are members. Black leaders can assist the NAACP, just as Jewish leaders can assist Israel, just as lawyers can assist bar groups.” The brief adds: “Cradle at best established that Mr. Diaz responded to a zealous constituency, which is not a constitutional violation.” Buckwalter also has claimed that the city overstepped its bounds by trying to force Cradle to stop discriminating in areas outside the city-owned building. The city refutes that allegation, stating that its focus has always been to end subsidized discrimination inside the Parkway building. “Cradle could continue to occupy city property, rent-free, if it wasn’t making discriminatory policy there,” the brief states. “It was only because Cradle chose to use the property for its headquarters that the condition may have had the effect of prohibiting discrimination elsewhere. The city’s condition, however, was targeted at the city’s subsidy.” Legal fees also disputed The city’s brief also asks that Buckwalter’s order for the city to pay the Scouts almost $900,000 in legal fees be thrown out, on the basis that the Cradle lawsuit was meritless. If the appeals court upholds Cradle’s “unconstitutional-condition” claim, the city asks that the legal fees be reduced to anywhere between about $473,000-$528,000. “[Buckwalter’s] sparse fee opinion is flawed because it includes hours derived from the unsuccessful and unrelated equalprotection claim, because it includes hours that were duplicative (for example, Cradle billed for five attorneys at each day of trial) and because the hourly rate was not reasonable,” the brief states. The 90-page brief was accompanied by hundreds of pages of supporting documentation. Cradle has until Dec. 24 to respond to the brief. Then, the city has 14 days to reply to Cradle’s response, if it wishes to. Then, a three-judge panel will be selected to rule on the matter. The panel has the option of holding oral arguments prior to issuing a ruling. ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

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Barcrawlr Family Portrait Mombian Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly Worth Watching

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Film icon’s holiday show to land in Philly By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

With Christmas season in full swing, we can’t think of a better way to put all the holiday chaos into perspective than with John Waters. The out director, author and mastermind behind such underground and mainstream classics “Pink Flamingos,” “Hairspray” and “Crybaby” is coming to town with his critically acclaimed one-man show “A John Waters Christmas,” which is sure to inject some of his trademark filth into the festivities as he explores the traditional holiday rituals and his unhealthy love of real-life holiday horror stories. Walters will appear at 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St. Fortunately for us, we were deemed naughty enough to hold a conversation with the cult cinema icon about the holidays and the places his reputation as a pop-culture pioneer has taken him. PGN: What is it that made you want to do a one-man show about Christmas? JW: It’s such an extreme time that brings out emotional lunacy and desperation or happiness and excitement in people, so you can’t ignore it. So I figured I’d try to give advice to make every person be able to get through Christmas no matter how you feel about it. PGN: Every year, right-wingers crawl out of the woodwork complaining about the war against Christmas. Are they talking about your show? JW: No, I don’t think they would be. The Christmas tree is a pagan symbol. I praise part of the religious things of Christmas because I find them so exceedingly crazy. I’ve always said about religion, I don’t care what you believe in as long as you don’t make me do it. I sometimes stalk religious things just to watch them. I remember Divine used to go to midnight Mass in drag to see if he could pull it off. Only the children gave him weird looks. They knew.

PGN: Is the show you’re doing based on your own experiences during the holidays or those of others? JW: Both. I talk about all extremes of Christmas, about what’s happened to me, what my good and bad memories are, how I think you should deal with every problem, gift-giving, what I want for Christmas if you’d like to buy me something and what I’d like to give you. PGN: Do the audiences for your Christmas shows behave themselves or is there a lot of audience participation during the performance? JW: They’re both. They’re respectful. I never get hecklers. The only problem I ever get is a fan that is too overzealous that got there really early and is drunk, and everything I say for the first few minutes they go crazy on, even though it is not that funny. And then they pass out. So that’s OK. But people have been great. I have great audiences. PGN: What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? JW: There’s only one I really love. It’s called “Christmas Evil.” It’s about a man who one day is looking in the mirror while shaving and thinks, Hey, I look like Santa Claus. And then he becomes obsessed with being Santa Claus and gets a job in a toy factory. Then he starts spying on little children and keeping record on if they were good and bad. He gets stuck in someone’s chimney because he’s insane. But the children think he’s real and protect him against the parents who have formed a lynch mob. So it’s kind of a lovely movie. PGN: In your opinion, what is necessary for an ideal holiday experience? JW: The ideal holiday experience is you have a truce with relatives that we’re going to think before we say anything so we don’t push each other’s buttons. I’ve always recommended giving out verbal-abuse whistles. So if anybody feels that someone is not following those rules, you blow the whistle. PAGE 20

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

1417 Locust St. Philadelphia, Pa 19107

PGN FEATURE

PGN: Was Christmas ever warm and fuzzy for you? JW: “Fuzzy” is not a word I’ve ever said out loud until now. Christmas is a good time. Now I have 16 Christmas shows. So basically I’m like a drag queen on Halloween. If it’s Christmas, I’m working. I have an annual Christmas party that I’ve had for 40 years. It’s everybody from the singing asshole from Pink Flamingos to the mayor and governor and a criminal that served 28 years that I taught in jail and the judge that sentenced him. It’s a very varied guest list. It’s my turn this year to cook Christmas dinner for my entire family. So I do that two days after my party and I go to San Francisco for New Year’s, where I have an apartment. It’s pretty traditional, even my decorations. I have a wreath on the door that looks traditional but it’s made out of sticker bushes so it pricks you and grabs you when you come in the door. I have the Unabomber birdhouse on my Christmas mantle. We have the electric chair from “Female Trouble” that we decorate like a Christmas tree. So it’s all the usual Christmas trappings with a twist. PGN: With your movies and TV shows like “The Wire” being so popular, do you think Baltimore’s image suffers in popular culture? JW: No. I think it’s the opposite. Wherever I go in the world, the first thing people bring up is “The Wire.” I’ve told the governor this, who hated “The Wire.” I tell him that it is the most loved TV show by intellectuals around the world. The smartest people love it. Not everybody loves tall ships. I fucking hate tall ships. There are all parts of Baltimore. Barry Levinson’s films are about anti-Semitism or ecological disasters. Mine are about serial-killer mothers. “The Wire” is about extreme behavior in West Baltimore. We all love the extremes of Baltimore. That’s what we make movies about. That’s why it is such an interesting city. Not because of Harborplace, which is now empty because no one went there. PGN: Do you have any insights into how younger fans are introduced to your work? JW: That’s mostly what I have, younger fans. I go all the time to colleges and every year they get younger and younger as I get older and older, which is the best thrill ever. I don’t know. They’ve seen all the movies and they weren’t even born when I made these movies. I’m thrilled by that. Today, everywhere in the world you can easily get a movie. You can get them no matter where you live. When I was young, you had to go to a city that shows specialized films. Now everybody in the world is cool. You can get anything you want in two minutes. A lot of them told me their parents showed my films to them, which is illegal in many states. PGN: Does the continued success of the “Hairspray”-related projects make it easier if you wanted to make more movies? JW: No. I can’t get my movie made now.

What makes it always hard is how the last movie I did got an NC-17 rating and it did not do so well, even though I’m quite fond of it. That’s fine. I just tell stories. I got paid to do a development deal to do “Fruitcake,” which is my children’s Christmas movie. But then the recession happened and now they are looking for movies like they used to make that cost $50,000 on your cell phone. I did that. I’m not doing that again. My last book, “Role Models,” was a best-seller and I’m writing the new book where I hitchhiked across America by myself in May. It’s called “Carsick.” So that’s my next big project. PGN: Were there any surprisingly crazy moments on your hitchhiking trip? JW: I’m not going to tell you. That’s in the book. The first third is me imagining the 15 best rides I could have ever gotten, with sex and adventure. The next part is the 15 worst rides I ever could have gotten, which obviously ends in my death, and I wrote that the day before I did it for real. I had 21 rides in seven days. I would say a third of the drivers knew who I was but only one didn’t drive past me, debate if it was me and come back and pick me up. The next third pulled over to give me money thinking I was homeless and then realized it was me and started screaming. That last third, when I told them it was me, acted like I said I was Napoleon. Beyond that, you’re going to have to read the book. PGN: Do you think it is harder to shock audiences these days? JW: I wouldn’t know because I have never just tried to do that. I tried to make you laugh and use wit to surprise you. It’s easy to be shocking and I think Hollywood tried too hard to be shocking these days, and except for a few great cases like “Bridesmaids” and “The Hangover,” they are not very funny. I’m trying to surprise you. If I had tried to top the ending of “Pink Flamingos” when that came out, I would be working today. ■ Catch “A John Waters Christmas” 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St. For more information or tickets, call 215-9226888.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

STAGE PGN

‘War Horse’ marches into the Kimmel By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com The Kimmel Center is galloping into the holiday season with the Philadelphia premiere of the award-winning “War Horse,” through Dec. 2. Based on Michael Morpurgo’s epic novel of the same name, “War Horse” is the story of young Albert’s beloved horse, Joey, who is enlisted to fight for the English in World War I. Joey ends up serving both sides of the war before he lands in no man’s land, spurring Albert to embark on a harrowing journey to find his horse and bring him home. The novel was the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s feature film,

which earned six Oscar nominations including Best Picture. The stage incarnation is a stirring drama, filled RIDDLEBERGER w i t h m ov ing music and songs. It won five Tony Awards last year, including a special honor given to Handspring Puppet Company, which brings breathing, galloping, charging horses to life on the stage. “The use of puppetry in the show was really the only way the story could be told on stage,” said Jon Riddleberger, an out cast member and puppeteer. “If the

JOEY AND TOPTHORNPhotos: Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

creative team had tried anything more realistic, it wouldn’t be as successful a show. I think the puppets tell the story in a surprisingly thorough way for a lot of audience members who have never experienced puppetry of this kind.” He said it takes a lot of work for three puppeteers to convincingly portray a horse live on stage. “Well, I’m not a horse so that makes it hard,” he joked. “The biggest challenge and one of the biggest blessings of doing this show as a horse is I have two teammates who are performing the same role with me. It takes three people to operate the horse. I’m always a head puppeteer. It’s a challenge because the three of us are having to operate as one creature with one mind. It’s a huge blessing because it means it never gets boring. I’m always connected to someone else who is going to make a different choice on stage than I would and who is going to see something that I don’t and respond to it. It’s all of our jobs to just kind of embrace that spontaneity and that collaboration and make a story happen. But it works.” Riddleberger added that another hurdle was learning the different nuances of playing the other horse, Topthorn, in the production. “I play both horses on different nights,” he said. “There was

ANDREW VEENSTRA AS ALBERT (SITTING ATOP JOEY) AND (FROM LEFT) RIDDLEBERGER, PATRICK OSTEEN AND JESSICA KRUEGERLEFT

a point when we were rehearsing the show where I stopped trying to learn how to be a horse, because that was step one: How do we portray a horse? Step two was how do we distinguish different characters within the horses? That’s been a really exciting thing to do. It’s a huge acting challenge because you’re essentially reworking your instincts about how you see the work and how you respond to what’s around you. We have two different horses that respond to the same exact stimuli because they are in a lot of the same situations together, but they respond differently.” While a lot of people are famil-

iar with the story of “War Horse” through the popularity of the film and book, Riddleberger said the stage production is a unique experience. “The three different forms of the story are all told very differently,” he said. “So if you’ve read the book or you’ve seen the movie, you haven’t seen the play and vice versa. We get a mixture of people at the show. Probably more people know of the movie than the book.” ■

The Kimmel Center presents “War Horse” through Dec. 2 at the Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-790-5847.

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If you are celebrating an anniversary, engagement, wedding, adoption or other life event, we would be happy to help you announce it to the community. Send your contact information and a brief description of the event to editor@epgn.com.

PROFILE PGN

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Suzi Nash

Josh Schonewolf: Food faux pas, from his kitchen to yours Let’s just say I’m not exactly Suzi Homemaker, especially when it comes to the culinary arts. If I’m boiling an egg, I wait until it cracks so I know it is done. It seems I’m not alone because apparently Josh Schonewolf can’t cook either. Funny, since both of us write about food: me, the occasional review for PGN and Josh in his appropriately named blog, “Josh Can’t Cook.” I think something about not being able to scramble an egg makes us appreciate the skills of others even more. PGN: So you’re from the ’hood? JS: I am, I grew up in South Philly. My sister April and I joke that we saw everything before we were 12 years old, so it takes a lot to shock me. We were one of the last holdouts on the block as it deteriorated. I used to run home from school because I was afraid of the shady characters that moved into our area — which was not an unreasonable fear, especially after our crossing guard got shot. I have a sister who’s 13 years younger than me. Surprise! They thought she was the flu. When my parents found out they were going to have another child, they decided to move to give her the childhood that April and I didn’t have ... one free from fear. They got a house in the suburbs with a pool and yard. [Laughs.] Rachel’s so different than us, she’s calm and serene and we’re both always stressed out. PGN: Other than stressed, how did growing up affect you? JS: There was so much violence around us that I always tried to focus on the positive. I always find the joke in every situation. I used to put on little shows and dance and sing to cheer everyone up because what was happening just outside of our house was so scary. Then when I was 13 we moved to Jersey, so I started high school with zero friends. It was rough, being 13 years old and gay in a new school. PGN: Were you out in school? JS: Not officially, but it was pretty hard to miss it. PGN: What did you like to do for fun? JS: I was obsessed with anything having to do with singing and dancing. In Philadelphia, the school didn’t have any funds for extracurricular stuff so we didn’t have any athletic programs. None in the whole school ... zero. And forget any arts programs. So, my sister April and I would memorize dance routines from TV and perform them for my grandmom. At first, I thought she’d give us a hard time, but she would tap along and snap her fingers and say, “You need to be louder!” Being gay in my family was always something that was accepted. They were like, “You too? Fine, we don’t care.” They let me be myself, which was a great gift from them.

PGN: You said, “You too.” That implies there were others ... JS: Yeah, I have a couple of gay family members. My aunt, my cousin [laughs] and a couple of questionables. I have one eyebrow raised at a few of them like, “Really? You’re not gay or lesbian? Come on, we all know, give it up already.” PGN: Any formal activities at school? JS: Not anything formal, but I had a pop group in my mind. It was called Invisible X and it was my two cousins, my sister and me. We’d make posters and practice choreography and put on shows for everyone. When we moved to Jersey, I studied my brain out and focused on academics and got involved in student council. PGN: Favorite teacher? JS: Mrs. Conn, my kindergarten teacher. I’ll never forget my first day at school. My dad walked me to school and held my hand. He told me, “As soon as you feel comfortable, wink at me.” I sat down on the carpet as Mrs. Conn was reading a story. She was so warm and nice that I looked up and winked at my dad. He looked up and thought, He doesn’t need me anymore, and started crying. My parents still stay in touch with Mrs. Conn, she’s become a family friend. She’s the greatest. She looks just like Barbra Streisand.

JS: [Laughs] I’d love to expand my blog, “Josh Can’t Cook.” Not sure how yet, but I just know how much I love writing and entertaining people and anything having to do with food. I also have a Web series. PGN: So can Josh really cook? JS: No, I cannot cook. Growing up with an Italian mom, she had strong thoughts about men in the kitchen. Her motto was, “The only thing a man is in the kitchen, is in the way.” So I went to college not having ever used even a toaster. I’m starting to learn a little through the blog, but I’m still not good at it. I think that part of my brain is missing. PGN: I never learned to cook either, but I think it was the baby feminist in me not wanting to learn “girl stuff.” JS: And I was always trying to get in the kitchen to learn because I knew I didn’t want to have to have a wife some day. But they always shooed me away.

PGN: How and when did you get started? JS: Two years ago I was swimming in my parents’ pool with my friend Jason and he said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if you wrote a blog about learning how to cook?” It was like a light bulb went off over my head. I was still working in finance then and didn’t have anything fun going on so I thought, Why not? I wrote the first installment and a few months later I got nominated for an award. Then I got nominated for another writing award. Now, two years later, I have readers from all across the world. It’s crazy; a few weeks ago I was in New York with my mom and a woman stopped me and said, “Hey, you’re Josh Can’t Cook!” When I hear from people who tell me they enjoy it or have used the recipes I post, it really inspires me to keep writing. PGN: Yes, I just read that you came in second place for the phl17 Hot List Award. JS: I’m the Susan Lucci of the blogging awards. I’ve been nominated for eight awards and I have not won one of them. I’m not bitter. It’s always some mom-centric website that beats me out and that’s OK.

PGN: And what did your dad and mom do? JS: My mom ran a daycare. She loves kids, and it was a way that she could stay home with us. My dad is an electrician supervisor or chief, something manly like that. A blue-collar manly job. PGN: The manly electrician who’s not afraid to cry? JS: Yes, my parents are great. I call them the original fag hags. They have gay friends and have always been really cool. PGN: Did you go to college? JS: Yes, I went to Temple for communications, but at 22, I decided I wanted a job and went to an agency and ended up seven years later working in finance. It was complete happiness. Though I was like, Whoa, how did this happen? PGN: Are you still doing that? JS: No, I loved it but wanted a break to explore other things. So now I write my blog and also wait tables while I figure out my next step. PGN: Any thought of what you might be when you grow up?

Photo: Suzi Nash

PGN: You have some great recipes on your website, which is probably what throws people off, thinking that you cook. JS: Yes, people send me recipes all the time and I post them. I’ll also try to make them but it’s usually with disastrous results. I have a passion for restaurants and food and cooking; I just am not skilled. But people seem to enjoy my exploits and the things I post.

PGN: Your blogs are really funny. I loved your advice about broccoli: “Chop off the stems because you’ll die if you eat them probably.” What’s your favorite thing to write about? JS: Well, I love anything Philly-centric. I think we have an amazing food scene here. You can go to the Italian Market and get the best cheese you’ll ever have in your life or go to Mifflin Street and get the best coffee you’ll ever have. The city does a great job catering to the foodies of the world.

PGN: I understand that there’s something happening in the world right now that has you scared. JS: Yes, the Aporkalypse! According to one of the industry trade groups, there’s going to be a worldwide shortage of pork and bacon next year. I like bacon on anything, so it hurt more than finding out there was no Santa to imagine a world without bacon. PAGE 25

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

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FUN & GAMES PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Q Puzzle Ian as we speak Across

1. Testy response, or testicles 5. Antislavery author 10. Made it to second base, so to speak 14. Stage piece 15. Part of a makeup kit 16. Kitchen foray 17. First name in lesbian fiction 18. Gay porn director Francis 19. Java vessels 20. Janis Ian song about biracial love 23. Little fairies 24. Leave as is 25. “That’s a wrap!” 28. Bring shame to 32. After 20Across, book about

Janis Ian 38. They’re performing, in “Fame” 39. Barbeque locale 40. Peril for Patty Sheehan 41. Nero’s thus 42. Pink slip actions 44. “Proud Mary” singer Turner 45. Dickhead 47. “Lake Wobegone Days” author 49. Shakespeare’s dusk 50. Three, in Napoli 51. Janis Ian song about teenage angst 56. “___ Let the Sun Go Down on Me” 58. Cosmetics name 59. Where orienta-

PORTRAIT from page 23

PGN: And you’re obsessed with the Long Island Medium. Ever have any paranormal experiences? JS: I’ve been to a couple of psychics and I’m going to see Jimmie Bay, the South Philly psychic. I’ve had two friends go to him and they said he was spot-on. I like knowing things. I’m one of those kids that shook their Christmas present because I wanted to know what was inside. I hate not knowing the future. PGN: Tell me about some of your charity work. JS: I’ve been lucky enough to have thousands of people follow my blog, and I wanted to do something positive with it. So this past summer I did an event for the Ali Forney Center in New York. It was called Josh’s Dinner Party. It was a great success, we had tons of gifts for raffle prizes that local people and businesses donated, blog readers from as far away as upstate New York came to support the cause and we had amazing entertainers who put on a great show. We raised more money than expected. It lit up my life and really changed the way I look at the world. People really do care. So much so, that we’re going to do another fundraiser Dec. 9, 8 p.m. It’s going to be called Josh’s Drag Ball. This time, all proceeds will go to The Attic Youth Center. I’ve rented out ICandy, and we have 15 drag performers who are participating. Satine Harlow is hosting it and Milan from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will be there too. The Attic kids are also going to be doing a number in drag. It’s going to be great fun. Tickets are $25 and 100 percent of the profits go to The Attic.

PGN

tion is determined, some say 62. Actress Skye 63. Turner that goes either way 64. Tibet’s setting 65. Moved one’s ass 66. Comes over 67. Winetaster’s guess

Down

1. “Morning Edition” airer 2. “Exodus” author Leon 3. The Tin Man’s best friend 4. “O beautiful for ___ skies” (Katharine Lee Bates) 5. What hibernating bears do 6. Fouls, to the Pinball Wizard 7. Nothing but 8. Houdini’s birth

name 9. How Homo sapiens walks 10. Gay nocturnal flyer? 11. Banjoist Scruggs 12. Swedish soprano Jenny 13. Scores by David Kopay 21. “___ the end of my rope!” 22. Enjoy phone sex 25. Stock up on 26. Line from Porter 27. First-rate mate 29. March follower 30. Plumed military cap 31. Keyed up 33. Willa Cather classic 34. Setter’s sound 35. “When I see ___ will believe ...” 36. Porking noise?

37. Eager beavers 42. Montagues, to Capulets 43. k.d. lang record label 46. Made a profit of 48. Street named for writer Harper? 51. Shakespeare’s Hathaway 52. Brandy bottle letters 53. Sundance’s Place 54. It’s a gas on Broadway 55. What Sam twitched on “Bewitched” 56. Bad-mouth 57. Caveman of comics 60. Woody’s ex 61. Stonewall Inn, for one PAGE 28

PGN: So is Josh single or partnered? JS: I’m very single. I like being single. PGN: Me too. JS: Yeah? I love it. If someone comes along, then great, but it’s not something I worry about. PGN: Random questions. What was the worst smell you have ever smelled? JS: Oh my God, the worst was actually a pizza I made. I was at my friend Jason’s house and I made this giant pear pizza with Gorgonzola cheese. It’s really strong and stinky and his poor house smelled like Satan’s basement. He couldn’t get rid of the smell for weeks. I wish I had scratch and sniff to show you how bad it was. We ended up ordering take-out that night. PGN: Favorite fabric? JS: I love this time of year when you can put on a great soft sweater. There’s something sexy about cashmere. Who needs a lover when you have cashmere? PGN: What was the worst trouble you got into growing up? JS: Oh, I had a club I called the Dingleberries, I thought the name was cute. Anyway, all my friends were black and one of my friend’s moms heard that I called him a dingleberry and thought it was some kind of racist thing. She confronted my mom about it, who assured her that it was just a friend thing, that it was the name of our group. Other than that misunderstanding, I never really got into trouble. I was a goody-two-shoes.

PGN

PGN: I wish everyone would ... JS: Stop being lazy and get involved helping people. People will say they don’t have the time but you can always make time. You can do anything if you try hard enough. PGN: If Josh could cook ... three people he’d like to make dinner for? JS: Paula Deen — I have a little obsession with her; I love anyone who loves butter that much — Sarah Jessica Parker and Oprah. I’ll probably change my mind before we finish talking. PGN: What is your favorite weird food combination? JS: Oh my God, this is so embarrassing. People are going to think I’m a pig, but if you melt ice cream and put broken-up chips in it and then refreeze it, you have the greatest snack ever. PGN: Ever run away from home? JS: No, I ran to home. I love my family; each one is funnier than the next, so going home for the holidays is never a daunting experience like for some people. I, like, love it. PGN: Favorite holiday? JS: Halloween! This year I went as Liberace and I got to judge the contest at Stir. Another year I went as Frieda Kalho, unibrow and all. I always make my own costumes. I got that from my mother, who made everything for us. She’d say kids’ parents who bought them store-bought costumes didn’t care about them. She made me Oscar the Grouch, Hulk Hogan, you name it. I would have been a wrestler every year if they let me. I was obsessed with wrestling.

PGN

PGN: We must have been separated at birth: I’ve never had a store-bought costume either. JS: Are you Italian? PGN: No. [Laughs] Pretty much everything else but. JS: That’s funny. Well, no one ever thinks I’m Italian. Especially with my last name, which means “beautiful wolf” in German, and my blue eyes. PGN: A sentimental item you wouldn’t sell if someone offered you $1,000? JS: Any boy that wants to be with me has to accept my pink blanket. My grandmom gave it to me as a kid. We’d lay under it and watch “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune” together. I still sleep with it to this day. My ex used to roll it up and put it in a closet. [Laughs] It was really comfy, so I don’t know what his problem was. PGN: If you had to describe your personality as an animal, which one would it be? JS: Probably a laughing hyena. I’m always laughing and trying to make people laugh. I’m a goof ball. I like to entertain people. PGN: Well, I’ve seen you at karaoke and you bring the house down. JS: Oh yes, Free your miiiiiiind! I love doing En Vogue and Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman.” Life is too short not to have fun. ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portrait,” write to portraits05@aol.com.

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

TV &PGN FAMILY

Elmo accusation should not stop LGBT inclusion

Worth Watching ALL ABOARD: Fantasia is one of the many performers scheduled to take the stage on the “Soul Train Awards,” alongside Cedric the Entertainer and Usher. The show will also feature tributes to two departed icons, Whitney Houston and Don Cornelius, starting 8 p.m. Nov. 25 on BET.

I’ve been worried ever since I heard the in the youngest grades. This could include allegation that Kevin Clash, the puppeteer funding children’s programs that show behind “Sesame Street’s” Elmo, had had such families. Corporate sponsors of children’s television should do the same. a relationship with a 16-year-old minor Here’s why this is necessary: Until when Clash was 45. First, it was a serious charge. Second, although the accuser we as a society stop thinking of openly has since recanted and said he was in fact LGBT people and families as something of age, I fear the incident may reduce to be hidden from children, LGBT people the chance of “Sesame Street” including will not achieve full equality, no matter LGBT characters any time in the foreseehow many legal and legislative gains we able future. I hope I’m wrong. make. Our lives will continue to carry the “Sesame Street” premiered in 1969, whiff of impropriety — even though I can the same year as the Stonewall explain to my son how we created him and not mention sex Riots that marked the start of at all, which is more than I can the LGBT-rights movement. say for most straight parents. It was a television show for a To have Clash come out new generation, not afraid to be publicly under the specter of broadly inclusive of multiple races, ethnicities, languages pedophilia is horribly unforand physical abilities. Over the tunate, given the old myth years, it has addressed sensithat views all gay men in this tive topics such as coping with a light. And even though it turns parent’s military deployment to out his relationship was legal, differences among children the nearly 30-year age differfrom Northern Ireland and the ence between the two men Middle East. The South African still makes me uncomfortable. version even has an HIV-posiDana Rudolph Clash has a daughter (from a tive Muppet. But the show has previous marriage to a woman), avoided LGBT inclusion (Bert and Ernie’s who is only a few years younger than rumored relationship notwithstanding). his erstwhile accuser. (For that matter, I In the 1982 segment, “We All Sing the also cringe when I think of actor Clint Same Song,” a child sings, “I’ve got one Eastwood and his wife, who is younger than his oldest child.) daddy” and another responds, “I’ve got But if Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit two.” Given the era, though, it remains behind “Sesame Street,” were to turn away unclear whether they were referring to from LGBT inclusion because of Clash’s gay dads or a divorced straight dad and a stepdad. In the 2006 episode where Gina relationship, it would reinforce the myth. the veterinarian adopts a child as a single As Sesame Workshop said in a statement mom, they address family diversity with when Clash was first accused, “Elmo is the song, “Doing the Family Thing”: “Any bigger than any one person.” They should group of people/Living together/And lovtake that to heart and look beyond Clash to ing each other/Are doing the family thing. the two million children in the U.S. alone ... ’Cause there’s all different leaves/On who are being raised by one million LGBT parents. the family tree/And there’s all different If Sesame Workshop’s mission is “to use types/Of families.” In between those verses the power of media to help children everyare examples of different families — but where reach their highest potential,” then LGBT-headed ones are absent. they should have openly LGBT characters Children’s television has made only one clear attempt at LGBT inclusion, on the Street we all love. Not only would and it was met with controversy. In the children of LGBT parents benefit from 2005 “Sugartime!” episode of PBS Kids’ seeing families like theirs, but children “Postcards from Buster,” rabbit Buster vis- of non-LGBT parents would come to see its Vermont. His tour guides are children LGBT people as part of our society, not from two different families, one of which as something to make fun of or whisper is headed by two moms. President George about. And children who are LGBT themselves would see models for what they W. Bush’s secretary of education Margaret Spellings asked producers to return all fed- could be. eral funding, and PBS pulled “Sugartime!” I was 2 when “Sesame Street” premiered, and am a proud member of its first Boston’s WGBH, the producer, ran it anyway and offered it independently to PBS generation of viewers. It was the first show stations, 57 of which chose to broadcast my own son watched. I have long seen it it, although producer Jeanne Jordan said it as the paragon of what children’s televistill made second-season funding difficult. sion should be. For today’s children, it The Department of Education has should be LGBT-inclusive. ■ recently made laudable efforts to reduce Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher bullying, including anti-LGBT bullying. of Mombian (www.mombian.com), an They could add to these efforts by encouraging understanding and acceptance of all award-winning blog and resource directory families, including LGBT families, even for LGBT parents.

Mombian

THE FINISH LINE: Tune it to see who takes the prize, which at presstime will either be Raven, Jujubee, Shannel or Chad Michaels, on the finale of “RuPaul’s All Stars Drag Race,” 9 p.m. Nov. 26 on Logo. Photos: Mathu Andersen

TREE HUGGERS: Out characters Mitch and Cam try to save an old tree in the park, but just how far will they go? Watch and be amused on “Modern Family,” 9 p.m. Nov. 28 on ABC. Photo: ABC/ Peter “Hopper” Stone

ON PINS AND NEEDLES: Fabulously freaky “Drag Race” winner Sharon Needles has her own show called “FEARce!” during which she’ll host classically bad horror flicks. This week, the movie in question is slasher film “Valentine,” 9 p.m. Nov. 29 on Logo.

NIGHTLIFE PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

November Rain A couple of Sundays ago, I spent the day 1221 St. James St. That’s right, they have the joint for the whole night for the fourth in Far Rockaway, N.Y., volunteering with annual black and white affair and birthday representatives from the American Red party for producers Morgan and Amber. Cross, including my husband, who works That means a whole night with the go-go for the Southeast PA chapter. dancers, shot crew, drink specials and hot Nothing I saw in the media prepared me for the devastation in these neighborhoods. DJs you’ve come to know and love. It also means it’s your chance to whip out your Two weeks after the storm, there were still fancy duds and dress to impress. Cover piles of debris everywhere: dry wall, mattresses, furniture, toys, electronics, you charge is only $10 if you get there before name it. Siding, fences and gutters were midnight. blown down. Cars were washed TOY 2012 up on sidewalks and in some The Delaware Valley cases on top of each other. This went on for blocks and blocks. Legacy Fund has found a new home for its sixth annual holiMost striking was the enormous parking lot at Jacob Riis day fundraising event, from 8-11 p.m. Dec. 1 at Reading Park, which has more than Terminal Market, 12th and Arch 5,000 parking spaces. It’s now streets. covered from end to end with a This incredible event is a 25-30-foot-high mound of garbage and debris — which is still night full of music, food and growing. fun, featuring heavy hors This wasn’t a resort town full d’ouevres and an open bar. But of second homes owned by the more than that, it’s a chance for 1 percent. This was in a thrivJim Kiley- you to help DVLF and brighten the holidays for lots of children. ing, working-class neighborZufelt Tickets are $50 per person hood in Queens. At the end of the day I was plus one unwrapped toy (no exhausted, but I was in awe of the human plush, please) for a child or teen. Toys will spirit. The people in these neighborhoods be distributed at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, including in the pediatric are amazing. They’re determined to overHIV/AIDS unit. come this, and they will. And the people of the Red Cross (and the National Guard A Very Quince Holiday Cabaret and the New York Police Department and the New York sanitation workers, among so Get in the holiday spirit from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Tabu Lounge and Sports many others) are truly remarkable people. Bar, 200 S. 12th St. Quince Productions I know it’s been a hellacious time recently for a lot of people. There has been will host its annual holiday show, featuring 14 performers doing their personal intera lot of loss and heartbreak. You may have to look extra hard to find it, but we all have pretations of holiday classics. They’ll also so much to be thankful for as well. Please have a raffle with amazing prizes and some take time in the coming weeks to hold your great drink specials until 7 p.m. There will loved ones close and treasure their combe a $15 cover charge. pany. Beer and Cupcakes Santa Saturday The third annual Beer and Cupcakes will be held from 7 p.m.-midnight Dec. 7 at Don’t miss the 39th annual Santa The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St. If you’ve Saturday from 1-6 p.m. Nov. 24 at Club never been to a bake sale in a leather bar, Paradise, 101 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park, N.J. Doors open at noon and there is usuthen you don’t know what you’ve been missing! ally a huge line so plan to get there early. Mazzoni Center case managers will sell Hosted by the men of Bucks MC, the fresh home-baked goodies, draft beer, Jellevent has raised a grand total of more than O shots and raffle tickets for cool prizes to $460,000 since its inception for regional raise money for their winter coat and holicharities, including many HIV/AIDS day toy drive for children whose lives have organizations. It started in New Hope and been impacted by HIV/AIDS. All proceeds moved to its new home in Asbury Park go directly to the kids. ■ a few years ago, where it is still going strong. Questions? Comments? Contact Jim at Stimulus Black & White barcrawlr@gmail.com or follow him on It’s the biggest Stimulus party of the year Facebook for links to back articles and from 10 p.m.-3:30 a.m. Nov. 30 at Voyeur, bitchin’ old pop-music videos!

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“I lingered in the shadows of my mind to hide from forces I believed would conjure greater torrents of pathos in my life, as if my fate was to live in perpetual sorrow, and barebacking indiscriminately would keep fate at bay.”

Millennial Poz Aaron Stella

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Lamb of God The metal band performs 7 p.m. at Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 800-745-3000.

OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 11/23 Aerosmith The rock band performs 8 p.m. at Ovation Hall, 500 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J. For more information or tickets, call 855-348-0500. B.B. King The blues guitarist performs 8 p.m. at House of Blues, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-3434000. The Machine The Pink Floyd tribute band performs 8 p.m. at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave.; 215-5727650.

Maxwell The R&B singer performs 8 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

Almost Queen The Queen tribute band performs 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215257-5858.

Steel Panther The glam-rock band performs 8 p.m. at Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; 610-3522887.

Brad Garrett The comedian performs 9 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

Sat. 11/24 How To Train Your Dragon The animated film is screened 2 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223.

Sun. 11/25 Murder By Death The mystery film is screened 2 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-0223.

Kevin Smith’s Hollywood Babble-On A live taping of the filmmaker’s podcast, 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Scott Weiland The rock singer performs 8 p.m. at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave.; 215-5727650.

Mon. 11/26 Free Quizzo & Board Game Night Roll the dice, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Hairspray The original 1988 John Waters film is screened 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.

goes mobile Now you can read your favorite local LGBT news site on your Android or iPhone/iPad Just go to epgn.com on your mobile device

Also check out our digital “ﬂipbook” of the full print edition at issuu.com/philagaynews with issuu’s Android app.

Lipstick Mondays A weekly drag show featuring a changing roster of queens takes the stage 9 p.m. at The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope; 215862-2081.

Tue. 11/27 Open Mic: The Best of What’s Next Sign up and play, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Buddy Valastro: Homemade for the Holidays The cake artist from “TLC’s Cake Boss” presents a special family show 7:30 p.m. at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-7905847. Shelby Lynne The singer-songwriter performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

Wed. 11/28 4W5 Blues Jam Local musicians

get down 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 302-994-1400. Men Without Hats The new-wave band performs 8 p.m. at Sellersville Theatre 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville; 215-257-5858.

Thu. 11/29 A John Waters Christmas The out filmmaker’s one-man show, 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888. Bob and Barbara’s Drag Show The outrageousness begins 11 p.m. at Bob and Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215-545-4511.

WARM AND FUZZY: Out indie folk artist Christine Havrilla celebrates the Tin Angel’s anniversary month with a performance showcasing songs from her previous albums, as well as from her new Gypsy Fuzz (her trio with Gretchen Schultz and Dan Kauffman), 8:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St. For more information or tickets, call 215-928-0978.

Fri. 11/30 Stimulus’ 4th Annual Black and White Affair The monthly LGBTQ party, 10 p.m. at Voyeur, 1221 St. James St.; 215-735-5772.

Notices

Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone. SOLUTION from page 25

FUNNY, HA-HA: Comedian Hal Sparks, best known for his role on “Queer as Folk,” is back in town performing Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St. For more information or tickets, call 215-496-9001.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Opening Hal Sparks The comedian from “Queer as Folk” performs Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001. John Pinette The comedian performs Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000. Wagner’s Ring The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.

Continuing Cooking With the Calamari Sisters The all-singing, all-dancing, all-cooking hit musical comedy, through Jan. 13 at Society Hill Playhouse, 507 S. Eighth St.; 215-923-0210. Cy Twombly: Sculptures Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works from the Swiss sculptor, through March, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Dr. Doolittle Media Theater presents the story of a veterinarian who can talk to animals, through Jan. 27, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-8910100. The English Bride Theatre Exile presents the story of a series of interrogations after a bombing attempt on a flight out of London, through Dec. 2 at Studio X, 1340 S. Third St.; 215-2184022. The Lair Lantern Theater Company presents an adaptation of Pierre Corneille’s classic French comedy, through Dec. 2 at

St. Stephen’s Theater, 10th and Ludlow streets; 215-829-0395. Learning from Frank Furness: Louis Sullivan in 1873 Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of drawings and furniture by the famed architect, through Dec. 30, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Live Cinema/Manon de Boer: Resonating Surfaces - A Trilogy Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of a series of three cinematic portraits defined by narratives of time and memory, and structured around the relation between images and sounds, through Feb. 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100. The Music Man Walnut Street Theatre presents the popular Broadway musical through Jan. 6, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. On My Honor: 100 Years of Girl Scouting The National Constitution Center presents an exhibition highlighting the history, contributions and traditions of Girl Scouts, including entrepreneurship, environmental awareness and civic engagement, through Dec. 31, 525 Arch St.; 215-409-6895.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

WATERS-PROOF: Despite the success of the remakes on stage and screen, we still have mad love for the original John Waters 1988 classic “Hairspray,” which will be screened 8 p.m. Nov. 26 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St. Bone up on the ﬁlm before Mr. Waters himself comes to town for his Christmas show. For more information, call 215-922-6888.

Shipwreck! Winslow Homer and The Life Line Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of 33 paintings by the American artist, through Dec. 16, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail The comedy film is screened through Nov. 25 at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-0223.

War Horse The dramatic story of a boy and his horse during World War I, through Dec. 2 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-7905847.

A Taste of Paris The Philadelphia Orchestra performs a musical journey from French Impressionism to jazz, through Nov. 25 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.

Closing

Plaid Tidings Guy group Forever Plaid performs songs from the 1950s and 1960s through Dec. 30 at Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550. Presidential Artifacts The National Constitution Center presents an exhibition of artifacts from collections around the country through Dec. 31, 525 Arch St.; 215-409-6895. Ronaldus Shamask: Form, Fashion, Reflection Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of drawings and sketches by the fashion designer through March 10, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-763-8100.

(AQUANET) PINK PANTHERS: We guess retro-glam rockers Steel Panther got tired of selling out TLA because they’ve graduated to the more cavernous Tower Theatre for their return to town. Catch all the debauched action 8 p.m. Nov. 23 at Tower, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby. For more information or tickets, call 610-352-2887.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Food & Drink

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DINING PGN OUT

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Bar Ferdinand: a NoLibs tapas oasis

Food & Drink

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com With Black Friday weekend upon us, we know you are probably consumed with surviving the crushing influx of frenzied shoppers and family drama. So rather than spin a yarn about Bar Ferdinand, 1030 N. Second St., which is excellent, we’re going to rattle off the top-10 reasons you should make this Spanish tapas restaurant a stop at some point during your holiday rituals. 1. Bar Ferdinand occupies a beautifully romantic candlelit space in a happening section of Northern Liberties. The restaurant is named after a beloved children’s book character, a bull that prefers to smell the roses instead of fight. Quaint, isn’t it?

2. The sherry-tasting flight ($14) was every bit as essential to the dining experience as the food. 3. The menu is currently in transition, so it’s a great time to see where the restaurant has been and where it’s going. Both have their strong points.

shrimp. The salpicon di gambas ($7) was a delectable dish of chilled shrimp and chopped paquillo peppers, red onion and fennel that made us wish tapas meant large plates instead of small plates. The shrimp al ajillo ($12) was the perfect pile of sizzling steamed shrimp bathed in a wonderful garlic sauce that was bold without being obnoxious. 6. Bar Ferdinand works wonders with goat cheese. The charred and marinated vegetables with goat cheese bread ($10) was a pleasant array of hot, flavorful veggies that balanced out the crisp sharpness of the bread and goat cheese. Then there’s the queso de cabra cocinado (baked goat cheese, $9) which was irresistibly warm and rich. 7. The almond-crusted eggplant cigar ($6) with spiced honey made us a fan of eggplant again, as the

crusting gave the fried veggie a wonderful crunch that counteracted any of the sometimes-bitter overtones and sogginess associated with eggplant. 8. Visually interesting as well as tasty, the corn flan with sea urchin ($8) was artfully served in an egg shell and delivered a smooth, buttery flavor.

Free

TUNA CRUDO (TOP) AND CHARRED AND MARINATED VEGETABLES WITH GOAT CHEESE BREAD

9. The tuna crudo ($12) threw us a pleasant curve. Usually, dishes like this rely on a spicy and acidic flavor profile, but this one veered towards greener territory with an arugula puree, celery and apple cider sauce that was refreshingly unique.

10. The house-cured pork belly in duck fat ($12) might sound like a coronary on a plate but it’s not quite as decadent-just damned tasty. Happy eating. (Try to) Enjoy the holidays! ■

4. The croquettes are crisp balls of pure joy. The only problem with the jamón croquetas (ham croquettes with charred scallions, $6) was that they hit the table the same time as the crab and saffron rice croquettes with lobster roe aioli ($10). The former was in essence the sum of it parts, while the latter was extraordinarily amazing in its combination of savory flavors. 5. Bar Ferdinand knows how to serve up some

If you go Bar Ferdinand

FRONT DINING ROOM WITH ONE OF THREE CUSTOM WALL MOSAICS Photos: Scott A. Drake

1030 N. Second St. 215-923-1313 www.barferdinand. com Dinner : Sun.-Thurs. 4:30 p.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat. 4:30 p.m.2 a.m. Brunch: Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Bananas Foster ﬂambéed tableside for the entire table with this ad! 515 Rt. 38 Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

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CLASSIFIEDS PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Classifieds Real Estate Sale

Real Estate Sale

Custis Woods - Glenside Open House Sun 12/2 1-3 pm

Beautiful Colonial Split on a pretty tree-lined st. Hardwood Flooring t/o most of the home. 3 BR 2 1/2 BA Stunning Sunroom addition and two brick patios provide spacious entertaining space. Priced at $269,995 Dir: (East) on Church Rd. (L) Willow Grove Ave. (L) on Bridle Rd.. Property on right.

Call Marcia Fluhr 215-542-2200 x557 Potter County: 17 acres adjoining Pennsylvania State Forest. Great hunting area! Electric, perc, gently rolling woodland, Keating Summit area. 814-435-2570. $72,900 owner ﬁnancing. ________________________________________36-47

Real Estate Rent 12TH & DICKINSON AREA Furnished Townhouse for rent: 3 levels. Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bath. Very Unique. 1500. mo plus util. (negotiable). Call 215 468-9166 after 6 pm. or 215 686 3431 daytime. ________________________________________36-49 HADDON TWP, NJ Safe, sunny 2 BR apt. 2nd ﬂ owner occ. duplex. 1000 sq.. ft., A/C, D/W, W/D, new carpet & paint. Pvt. ent. Close to speedline, bus, walk, bike to shops, parks, lakes, library. $900/mo. Call Brian, 12 PM-7 PM, 856-858-8620. ________________________________________36-48

Roommates Rooms for rent in Salem, NJ. Small $600, MBR $700 and double, $800/mo. Includes utilities. Call 856-275-1001. ________________________________________36-47

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Business Opportunity ATTN: COMPUTER WORK Work from anywhere 24/7. Up to $1,500 Part Time to $7,500/mo. Full Time. Training provided. www.WorkServices5.com ________________________________________36-47 All real-estate advertising is subject to Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and ﬁnancing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). PGN will not knowingly accept any real-estate advertising that is in violation of any applicable law.

For Sale Nibble on something you’ll soon fall in love with. LOVE CAKE is a delicious, very nearly, not quite, almost 100% ORGANIC ITALIAN APPLE CAKE. Taste our apple/cinnamon, w/belgium chocolate, w/bitchin’ hot Italian pepper. FREE CC DELIV, each cake 16 slices is shrink wrapped to maintain freshness. No Preservatives, Not Gluten Free. We bake/deliver daily until Thanksgiving. brooks.N’.mia’s bakery 11th Locust 215-887-3159. ________________________________________36-48

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Services EARN COLLEGE DEGREE ONLINE *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV Certified. Call 888-220-3984. www.CenturaOnline.com ________________________________________36-47 AIRLINE CAREERS Begin here-Become an Aviation Maintenance Tech. FAA approved training. Financial aid if qualified-Housing available. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-834-9715 ________________________________________36-47

Travel and Resorts Men 609-345-8203 oceanhouseAC@yahoo.com ________________________________________37-05

Gay is our middle name.

PGN

PGN does not accept advertising that is unlawful, false, misleading, harmful, threatening, abusive, invasive of another’s privacy, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful or racially or otherwise objectionable, including without limitation material of any kind or nature that encourages conduct that could constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, provincial, national or international law or regulation, or encourage the use of controlled substances.

CLASSIFIEDS PGN

New Year’s Eve E D I T I O N

DECEMBER 2 8 , 2 0 1 2 THE VERY BES T WAYS TO RING IN 2 0 1 3

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Help Wanted

Friends Men

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Friends Women Hi ladies, I am a GWF looking for a GWF, 35-45 who is honest, caring and must be for real. Love hugs and kisses. Life is too short; I don’t sweat the small stuff. So if you want to talk, call Joanie at 610-657-8640. ________________________________________36-47

Massage David, 62, 6’, 200 lbs., educated. 215-569-4949. ________________________________________36-49

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

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STAY WARM WITH US!!! DRY SUANA & STEAM ROOM ARE AVAILBLE...

NAUGHTY & NICE Saturday, December 8th, 2012 Time: 11pm-3:30am WHAT TO EXPECT: • DJ David Dutch • Complimentary Food & Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & Soo Much More..

I SAW A DADDY KISSING SANTA CLAUS Saturday, November 18th, 2012 Time: 11pm-3:30am WHAT TO EXPECT: • DJ David Dutch • Complimentary Food & Beverages • A Full House of Guys To Choose From & Soo Much More..

Rooms go quickly and are on a 1st Come, 1st Served basis. So Check In Early if you want a room…

ROOMS:

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LOCKERS:

Members: $18.00 & Non-Members: $28.00

OUR MOST POPULAR/ BUSIEST DAYS:-

These our are most popular days when people comeMONDAY thru FRIDAY: Business Mans Locker Special (8am to 4pm)

Members: $5.00 and Non-Members: $15.00 (This Special Not Eﬀective During Party Nights)

SATURDAY: AFTERNOON DELIGHT

4 hour Lockers (8am – 4pm) Members/Students: $5.00 & Non-Members: $15.00

SUNDAY RELIEF

Half Price Rooms (6am Sunday till 8am Monday) Members/Students: $12.50 & Non-Members: $22.50

MANIC MONDAY

5 for 5 ($5 Lockers for 5Hrs) Members/Students: $5.00 Non-Members: $15.00 (4pm to 12 )

Check out our website for our HOT NEW WEEKLY SPECIALS & JOIN OUR e-mail List to get the latest information on upcoming events.... Also, RENOVATIONS are being done, So swing by & Check Out The Transformation!

Don’t forget to visit the Adonis Cinema right next door!! 2026 Sansom St/ PH: 215-557-9319

PGN

Activism/Politics

ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) meets 6-9 p.m. every Monday at St. Luke and The Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; 215-386-1981; www.actupphilly.org. Delaware Valley Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church and State seeks activists and supporters of church-state separation. Holds monthly meetings and events; www.dvau.org. Equality Pennsylvania holds a volunteer night the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605; 215-731-1447; www.equalitypa.org. Green Party of Philadelphia holds general meetings the fourth Thursday of the month except August and December, 7 p.m.; 215-243-7103; www.gpop.org. Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club meets seasonally; www.libertycity.org.

Arts

Library Book Club meets to discuss a new book 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at the William Way Center. Philadelphia Freedom Band, an audition-free LGBT band that does concerts and parades, rehearses Mondays 7-9:30 p.m.; philadelphiafreedomband.com. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus rehearses 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays; 215-731-9230; auditions@pgmc.org. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Opera Club meets to share and listen to recordings 6:30 p.m. the last Saturday of the month; 215-732-7898. Philadelphia Voices of Pride, Philadelphia’s first mixed GLBT chorus, rehearses 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the William Way Center; www.pvop.org. Queer Writer’s Collective workshop and discussion group meets 4-6 p.m. the fourth Saturday of the month at the William Way Center. Reading Queerly, open to all women and genderqueer/ trans people, meets 6:45 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.

Recreation

Diversity Dancers ballroom dancers meet the first Sunday of the month for tea and lessons. Other events scheduled throughout the year; 215-922-2129; DiversityDancers@aol. com. Gay Bridge Club non-beginners group meets Monday 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the William Way Center; reservations required. Call 215-732-2220. Gay-friendly Scrabble Club meets 6-11 p.m. in the P.I.C. Building, 42nd and Locust streets; 215-382-0789. Gay Opera Guys of Philly, a new group for opera appreciation, meets the last Sunday of the month at 2:30 p.m. in Roxborough/Andorra area; 215-483-1032. Humboldt Society: Lesbian and Gay Naturalists meets the second Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the William Way Center; 215-985-1456; www.humboldtsociety.org. Independence Squares LGBT square-dance club, modern Western square dancing. Monthly open house. Tuesday classes in the fall; Lutheran Church, 2111 Sansom St.; philadances@gmail.com; www.independencesquares.org. Male Oenophile Group forming to discuss, appreciate and taste various wines. Will meet once a month to investigate the nuances and glories of the fermented grape. Call 267230-6750 for more information. Mornings OUT LGBT Senior Social activities for senior gay men are held every Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the William Way Center. PhilaVentures, Philadelphia’s LGBT outdoor group, meets for hikes in Wissahickon Valley and Valley Forge Park; philaventures.org.

Sports

Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for Tuesday and Thursday practice at 8 p.m. Greenfield Park, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Games are played Sundays, beginning in April, in Fairmount Park; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch. Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www. philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club LGBT and allies; plays 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays at Edgely Fields in Fairmount Park; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, male and female swimmers, meets 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Friends Select School and 10:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Kelly Pool in Fairmount Park; www.philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League meets 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays September-April at Brunswick Zone, 1328 Delsea Drive, Deptford, N.J.; 856-889-1434; www.philagaybowling.com.

Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League games played Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Columbus Square Park, 1200 Wharton St.; phillyflagfootball.com. Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club seeks players, all skill levels welcome; meets 7:45 p.m. Thursdays at Columbus Square Park, 1200 Wharton St.; 215-913-7531; philadelphiagryphons.org; becomeagryphon@gmail.com. Philadelphia Liberty Belles women’s semi-pro full-tackle football league holds fall tryouts; phillybelles.com. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association plays yearround, all skill levels welcome; philadelphialibertytennis. com. Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team seeks players; www.philadelphiafirebirds.com. Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League seeks players, all skill levels and ages welcome. Practice is Thursdays, 7 p.m. at Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 17th and Fitzwater streets, with games on Sundays 2:30 p.m.; phillywomensbaseball.com; contact Narda Quigley, (day) 215991-5995 or (evening) 301-919-1194. Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; 917-656-1936; phury@gayhockey.org. Philly QCycle LGBT bicycling club promotes organized recreational riding for all levels in the Greater Philadelphia region. Contact the organization via Facebook. Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley motorcycle club meets regularly; 215-836-0440; www.groups.yahoo.com/ group/rainbowridersdv/. Rainbow Rollers gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Boulevard Lanes in Northeast Philadelphia; rainbowrollers.com. Spartan Wrestling Club, the gay wresting team, meets 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays and 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturdays (no August practice) at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-732-4545; www.phillyspartans.com. Suburban Gay Bowling League bowls at 8 p.m. Thursdays from August-April at Facenda-Whitaker Lanes, 2912 Swede Road, Norristown; sgblbowl@gmail.com. Team Philadelphia, the umbrella group for gay and lesbian sports teams, and individual athletes in the Delaware Valley come together to provide a healthy outlet for all members of the community; teamphiladelphia.org.

Etc.

AIDS Law Project provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing; 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 600; 215-5879377; www.aidslawpa.org. BiUnity, Philadelphia-area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends meets the second Friday of every other month at the William Way Center; www.biunity.org. Delaware Valley Pink Pistols for LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for selfdefense; meets 2 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at Classic Indoor Range, 1310 Industrial Blvd., Southampton; 610-879-2364; www.pinkpistols.org. Delaware Pride holds planning meetings 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at the United Church of Christ, 300 Main St., Newark; 302-265-3020; delawarepride.org. Haverford College’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance holds open meetings 10-11 p.m. Mondays during the school year in the lounge in Jones Basement at Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave.; 610-896-4938. Long Yang Club Philadelphia social organization for gay Asians and their friends holds monthly socials; www. longyangclub.org/philadelphia. Our Night Out, a casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, friends and colleagues, meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, email OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; more information on Facebook. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice offered 5-8 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month; 215-238-6333. Philadelphia Prime Timers club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; primetim ersofphiladelphia@yahoo.com. Philadelphians MC Club for leather men and women meets 7:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; philadelphiansmc.org. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL-affiliated, weekly HF nets, quarterly newsletter; www.rara.org. Rock ’n’ Roll Queer Bar Party for gay and lesbian rockers with host Psydde Delicious starts 10 p.m. every first Sunday at Fluid, 613 S. Fourth St.; www. RocknRollQueerBar.com. Silver Foxes, a social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older, meets 3-5 p.m. the fourth Sunday of the month at the William Way Center. SNJ Queers meets monthly for queer/queer-friendly folks in South Jersey to mix and mingle. Search for SNJ Queers on Facebook; contact Wendy at 856-375-3708 or wmf69@comast.net.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-8 p.m. MondayFriday; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday. See the Youth section for more events. 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331. ■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St., 215-898-5044; center@dolphin.upenn.edu. Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday.

and Allies Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org

■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220; www.waygay.org. Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday Library hours: 12-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 12-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; 126 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning

■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377

Key numbers

■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221

■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK

■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851

■ Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs: Gloria Casarez, 215-6862194; Gloria.Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: 215-686-2555

■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 ■ The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 112 N. Broad St., third floor; 215-496-0330 ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378

■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBTLAW; legalservices@mazzonicenter. org ■ Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658 ■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833

Health

AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 1711 South Broad Street; 215-629-2300. www.asiac.org. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St. 215851-1822 or 866-222-3871. www.galaei.org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1803. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing

■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, self-employed and business owners meets monthly in a different location throughout the city, invites speakers on various topics, partners with other nonprofits and maintains a Web site where everyone is invited to sign up for email notices for activities and events; www.gppn.org.

■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson: 215-683-2840 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686; ppd. lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)

■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670

Anonymous, free, conﬁdential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 3439 N. Hutchinson St.; 215-763-8870 ext. 6000.

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia GALLOP holds board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; GALLOP also provides a free referral service; (215) 6279090; www.galloplaw.org.

■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 215-772-2000

available by appointment at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Ofﬁce Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-5869077.

Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth ﬂoor; 215-563-0652. www.mazzonicenter.org. Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronic-disease management, including comprehensive HIV care, 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday except for noon-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m., and 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

Professional groups ■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses and professionals. Visit www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com for information about events, programs and membership; 215-557-0190; 1717 Arch St., Suite 3370. ■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and

students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgjaphiladelphia.org. ■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus A regional organization dedicated to promoting gay and lesbian tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region holds meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; P.O. Box 58143, Philadelphia, PA 19102; www.philadelphiagaytourism.com. ■ Philly OutGoing Professionals Social group for gay, lesbian and bisexual professionals meets for social and cultural activities, 856857-9283; popnews19@yahoo. com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Nov. 23-29, 2012

PGN